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Although you will often see this heron during the day roosting in trees, this small stocky bird becomes active at dusk and hunts at night. It has found its niche of hunting at a time when most egrets and herons have settled down for the night thereby reducing competition for food.

Except for Australia and Antarctica, the black-crowned night heron lives in wetlands around the world. It eats a variety of food including small fish, insects, worms, shrimp, leeches, tadpoles and small lizards.

Even though there are not as many of these herons as there use to be, it is still a common species and fairly secure in its range.