Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is in the Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns family (Ardeidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 94,384 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in May.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: year-round resident. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Black-crowned Night Heron: observations by month (U.S.)
About Black-crowned Night Heron
The black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia (where it is replaced by the closely related rufous night heron, with which it has hybridized in the area of contact).From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Black-crowned Night Heron by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 49,125 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Florida | 7,789 | March | Feb–Jan |
| Texas | 6,462 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Hawaii | 5,200 | March | Feb–Jan |
| Illinois | 3,612 | May | Apr–Sep |
| New York | 2,866 | June | May–Sep |
| Arizona | 1,851 | January | Dec–Nov |
| Maryland | 1,845 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Nevada | 1,417 | January | Dec–Nov |
| Massachusetts | 1,409 | June | Apr–Sep |
| Colorado | 1,374 | June | Apr–Sep |
| South Carolina | 1,341 | June | Dec–Sep |
| New Jersey | 1,271 | June | May–Sep |
| Louisiana | 686 | April | Mar–Feb |
| Utah | 681 | May | Apr–Aug |
| Oregon | 606 | May | Apr–Feb |
| New Mexico | 600 | April | Apr–Aug |
| Michigan | 551 | August | May–Sep |
| Ohio | 548 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Virginia | 423 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Georgia | 378 | January | Oct–Jun |
| North Carolina | 357 | January | Dec–Oct |
| Wisconsin | 353 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Idaho | 291 | January | Nov–Feb |
| Connecticut | 282 | June | Apr–Aug |
| Vermont | 226 | May | May–Sep |
| Pennsylvania | 223 | June | Apr–Aug |
| District of Columbia | 215 | May | Apr–Jun |
| Washington | 213 | September | Apr–Oct |
| Missouri | 198 | June | Apr–Aug |
| Kansas | 188 | May | Apr–Jul |
| Alabama | 179 | January | Sep–Jan |
| Delaware | 173 | April | Mar–Sep |
| Rhode Island | 171 | June | May–Sep |
| Minnesota | 169 | May | Apr–May |
| Oklahoma | 165 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Tennessee | 157 | July | Apr–Aug |
| Maine | 145 | June | May–Sep |
| Kentucky | 109 | May | May–Sep |
| Wyoming | 81 | July | May–Aug |
| Indiana | 75 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Mississippi | 75 | August | Jul–Apr |
| North Dakota | 71 | June | May–Aug |
| South Dakota | 65 | May | Apr–Aug |
| Montana | 59 | June | May–Sep |
| Nebraska | 56 | May | Apr–Jun |
| New Hampshire | 21 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Iowa | 15 | April | Apr–Apr |
| Arkansas | 10 | July | Jun–Jul |
| West Virginia | 7 | April | Apr–May |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Black-crowned Night Heron?
Nationally, May has the most observations, with the main season from April to March.
Where is Black-crowned Night Heron most often seen?
The most observations come from California, Florida, Texas.