Yellow-crowned night-heron Nyctanassa violacea
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Identification Tips:
Length: 21 inches Wingspan: 44 inches
Sexes similar
Fairly small, long-legged, short-necked heron
Tucks neck in close to body in flight and often at rest, rarely extending it
Black bill
Leg color varies with age, as with Black Crowns
Long legs, with feet and part of legs extending beyond tail in flight
Adult:
Red eyes
Blue-gray neck, chest, back and belly
Dark centers to back feathers
Pale yellowish forehead and buffy-white crown
Black face and chin with broad white auricular stripe
Juvenile:
Eyes yellowish to amber
Head, neck, chest and belly dark gray-brown streaked finely with buff and white
Darker cap
Wings and back darker brown with small white spots at the tips of the feathers
Greater secondary coverts with crisp white edgings and small spots at tips
Immature:
Gradually acquires adult plumage over 2 years, losing spotting and streaking and gradually acquiring face and body plumage of adult