Black Crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
These stocky members of the heron family are aggressive, stealing eggs and young from other herons in colonies. They prefer to roost in mangroves, but hunt in shallow freshwater wetlands, mainly at night. Although very common they are threatened by habitat loss because their preferred habitats are considered mosquito breeding sites and are not tolerated near human homes. They are also a carrier of Japanese Encephalitis, a dangerous disease. In some parts of the world they have been hunted for food or as a pest at fish farms. Like other wetland inhabitants they are also threatened by water pollution and the overuse of pesticides.
Size: 5120px × 3413px
Location: Malaysia
Photo credit: © Louise A Heusinkveld / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: adult, aggressive, bird, birds, black, blue, carrier, colored, coloured, crowned, disease, eye, grey, heron, nature, night, nycticorax, ornithology, red, tri, wetland, wetlands, white
