Dominica Botanic Gardens Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies

Photo: Clipart.com Photo: William Hull Photo: William Hull Immature heron - Photo: William Hull

Description: The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is a short, stocky, wading bird, widespread in Dominica. It is of medium size, about 55-70 cm (22-28 in) in length, with a wingspan of a little under 1.2 m (4 ft), one of the larger resident breeding birds in Dominica. It has a slate gray body, a black head with a white streak on the side of the face and a yellowish-white crown; has a thick, black bill, red eyes, a short neck, and long, yellow to orange legs, extending beyond tail when bird in flight. In breeding season, has distinct yellow plume of feathers on its head. Males and females look alike. Immature individuals are streaked grayish and brown all over. This Heron typically lives on the banks of rivers, lakes, swamps and ponds; feeds mostly at night but is active by day as well; lives chiefly on crabs and crayfish, but will also eat fish and shellfish; it is occasionally seen in the economic section of the Gardens; click here to listen to its call, and here to see its video. References: Arlington James, et al. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005 James Bond. Birds of the West Indies. Collins, St James Place, London, 4th Edition, 1979 Herbert Raffaele, et al. Birds of the West Indies. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2003 Fred J. Alsop III. Birds of Florida. Smithsonian Handbooks, Dorling Kindersley, NewYork, 2002.