Black-crowned Night Heron

The Black-crowned Night Heron is the most wide-spread heron in the world, breeding on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. It is a short, stocky wading bird. They are most active at night or at dusk when they leave their roosting sites to forage in wetlands. They are hard to spot during the day as most of the time they are resting in trees and bushes. Some studies suggest that they feed at night because they are dominated by other Herons and Egrets by day thus avoiding feeding competition. They are opportunistic carnivorous hunters and will eat whatever they find. They are also known to scavenge at times.