Black-crowned Night Heron
Black-crowned Night HeronBlack-crowned Night HeronBlack-crowned Night HeronBlack-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%

13 Verified sightings at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge From 2019 to 2026
23,877 In all 146 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-crowned Night Heron

The black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) or black-capped night heron, commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America. In Australasia it is replaced by the closely related Nankeen night heron (N. caledonicus), with which it has hybridised in the area of contact.

The black-crowned night heron was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with herons, cranes and egrets in the genus Ardea and coined the binomial name Ardea nycticorax, based on specimens from southern Europe. It is now placed in the genus Nycticorax that was described in 1817 by the English naturalist Thomas Forster for this species. The epithet nycticorax is from Ancient Greek and combines nux, nuktos meaning "night" and korax meaning "raven". The word was used by authors such as Aristotle and Hesychius of Miletus for a "bird of ill omen", perhaps an owl. The word was used by the Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner in 1555 and then by subsequent authors for a black-crowned...

Wikipedia →

Sounds

Flight call0:12

Belgium · 2026

© Thijs Calu · XC1181689 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call0:17

France · 2026

© Thierry THOMAS · XC1179261 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:30

France · 2026

© Julien Bottinelli · XC1179241 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~60%
2 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
3 Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary 🇸🇳 Senegal
~50%
4 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
5 Niokolo-Koba National Park 🇸🇳 Senegal
~40%
6 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~40%
7 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
8 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
9 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
10 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~30%
11 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
12 Falkland Islands 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands
~30%
13 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~30%
14 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
15 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~30%
16 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
17 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~30%
18 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
~20%
19 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
20 Mole National Park 🇬🇭 Ghana
~20%
21 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
22 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
23 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~20%
24 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~20%
25 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
~20%
26 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~20%
27 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~20%
28 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~20%
29 Lauca National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
~10%
30 De Hoop Nature Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
31 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
32 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
33 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
34 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
35 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
36 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
37 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
38 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
39 Udawalawe National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
40 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
41 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
42 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
43 Tierra del Fuego National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
44 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
45 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
46 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
47 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
48 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
49 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
50 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
51 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
52 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~10%
53 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
54 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
55 Chitwan National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
~10%
56 Teno-Rasca Marine Strip (Tenerife) 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
57 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
58 Berenty Reserve 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~10%
59 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
60 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~10%
61 Satpura National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
62 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
63 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
64 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
65 Meru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
66 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~10%
67 Nahuel Huapi National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
68 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
69 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
70 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
71 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
<5%
72 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
73 West Coast National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
74 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
75 Tangkoko Nature Reserve 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
76 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
77 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
78 Minneriya National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
79 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
80 Kidepo Valley National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
81 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
82 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
83 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
84 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
85 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
<5%
86 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
87 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
88 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
89 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
90 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
91 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
<5%
92 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
93 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
94 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
95 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
96 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
97 Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park 🇲🇳 Mongolia
<5%
98 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
99 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
100 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
101 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
102 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
103 Royal Bardia National Park 🇳🇵 Nepal
<5%
104 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
105 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
106 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
107 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
108 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
109 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
110 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
111 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
112 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
113 Doi Inthanon National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
114 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
115 Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
116 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
117 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
118 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
119 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
120 Bandhavgarh National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
121 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
122 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
123 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
124 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
125 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
126 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
127 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
<5%
128 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
129 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
130 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
131 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
132 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
133 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
134 Kanha National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
135 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
136 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
137 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
138 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
139 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
140 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
141 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
142 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
143 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
144 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
145 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
146 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Antananarivo 🇲🇬 Madagascar
~80%
2 Ningbo 🇨🇳 China
~70%
3 Riyadh 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
~60%
4 Taichung 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~60%
5 Jinhua 🇨🇳 China
~60%
6 Shanghai 🇨🇳 China
~60%
7 Taipei 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~50%
8 Nanchang 🇨🇳 China
~50%
9 Hajipur 🇮🇳 India
~50%
10 Chengdu 🇨🇳 China
~50%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Pairi Daiza 🇧🇪 Belgium In captivity
2 Prague Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
3 ZooParc de Beauval 🇫🇷 France In captivity
4 Leipzig Zoological Garden 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
5 Natura Artis Magistra 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
6 Parque das Aves 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
7 Barcelona Zoo 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
8 Réserve africaine de Sigean 🇫🇷 France In captivity
9 Abilene Zoological Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
10 Aquarium de Lyon 🇫🇷 France In captivity
11 Ecomuseum Zoo 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
12 San Diego Zoo Safari Park 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
13 Beijing Wildlife Park 🇨🇳 China In captivity
14 Taipei Zoo 🇹🇼 Taiwan In captivity
15 Living Desert Zoo and Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
16 Bronx Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
17 Zoológico de Brasília 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
18 Parc animalier de Sainte-Croix 🇫🇷 France In captivity
19 Squam Lakes Natural Science Center 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
20 Sedgwick County Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
21 Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo 🇨🇳 China In captivity
22 Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
23 São Paulo Zoo 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
24 Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park 🇮🇳 India In captivity
25 Chongqing Zoo 🇨🇳 China In captivity
26 Mysore Zoo 🇮🇳 India In captivity
27 Kyiv Zoo 🇺🇦 Ukraine In captivity
28 Saint Louis Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
29 Caldwell Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
30 Terra Natura Benidorm 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
31 Woodland Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
32 Wrocław Zoological Garden 🇵🇱 Poland In captivity
33 San Francisco Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
34 Temaikén 🇦🇷 Argentina In captivity
35 Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
36 National Zoo of Malaysia 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity
37 Zoologischer Garten Leipzig 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
38 Oregon Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
39 Heimat-Tierpark Olderdissen 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
40 Zoológico la pastroa 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
41 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
42 Zoo Opole 🇵🇱 Poland In captivity
43 Lok Kawi Wildlife Park 🇲🇾 Malaysia In captivity
44 Jijamata Udyaan 🇮🇳 India In captivity
45 Cameron Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
46 Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens 🇻🇳 Vietnam In captivity
47 Chapultepec Zoo 🇲🇽 Mexico In captivity
48 Honolulu Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
49 Sapporo Maruyama Zoo 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
50 Łódź Zoo 🇵🇱 Poland In captivity

Closest Relatives at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge

Cattle Egret
LC

Cattle Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubulcus ibis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Red-footed Booby
LC

Red-footed Booby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sula sula

Daily sighting probability >90% · Very likely
Hawaiian Goose
NT Endemic

Hawaiian Goose

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Branta sandvicensis

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
Great Frigatebird
LC

Great Frigatebird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Fregata minor

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
White-tailed Tropicbird
LC

White-tailed Tropicbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phaethon lepturus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Brazilian Cardinal
LC

Brazilian Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Paroaria coronata

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Laysan Albatross
NT

Laysan Albatross

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phoebastria immutabilis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Red-tailed Tropicbird
LC

Red-tailed Tropicbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phaethon rubricauda

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Brown Booby
LC

Brown Booby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sula leucogaster

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Warbling White-eye
LC

Warbling White-eye

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zosterops japonicus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Zebra Dove
LC

Zebra Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Geopelia striata

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Wedge-tailed Shearwater
LC

Wedge-tailed Shearwater

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Puffinus pacificus

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-crowned Night Heron in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-crowned Night Heron sighting in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 38th most-seen of the 44 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-crowned Night Heron in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-crowned Night Heron in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Black-crowned Night Heron?

Between 4 and 7 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-crowned Night Heron sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Where does the Black-crowned Night Heron sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-crowned Night Heron is recorded against all the birds logged in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (13 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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