Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Nyctanassa violacea · Herons & egrets
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, juvenile
Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 3 August 2025
A young Yellow-crowned Night-Heron standing stock-still in the marsh grass at Jamaica Bay, streaked brown rather than the adult's slate grey and cream. It is a heron of salt marsh and mangrove along the whole Atlantic and Gulf coast, and in New York it nests in the city's parks and cemeteries; a colony in a Queens street tree is one of the odder sights in the five boroughs.
Young night-herons take two to three years to reach full adult plumage. The species specialises on crabs and crayfish, cracking the shells with a bill built noticeably heavier than a similar-sized heron's.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
Every photograph comes with notes on what it is.
Selected
Favourite shots. Filter by subject, or .
Places
Everything, by where it was taken.
Species
Larger catalogue of photos organized by species of animal or plant.
Catalogue
Every photograph, newest first. Narrow it by period, place or species; the three work together.
Updates
Coming soon. Sign up at the bottom of the page for updates.