Black-crowned Night Heron Patch

#88 Black-crowned Night Heron

As their name suggests, these stocky herons are most active at night or dusk. Flying out from their daytime roosts to forage in wetlands, they let out an explosive, raven-like call that helps explain their scientific name, Nycticorax, which means “night-raven.” Social birds, they breed in colonies of stick nests around water. Those nests can be found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

This patch celebrates NYC Bird Alliance and their 40+ years of research on New York Harbor's nesting herons. Their studies have revealed alarming declines of this bird.