Juvenile 'Auku'u
Black Crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
Kaelepulu Wetlands, O'ahu, Hawai'i
From the State of Hawaii DLNR: The ‘auku‘u or black-crowned night heron (Family: Ardeidae) is a stocky cosmopolitan species that breeds on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica. Four subspecies are recognized and N. n. hoactli occurs in Hawai‘i, as well as across North America and most of South America. Adult males and females have a black crown and upper back, with a white throat, cheeks, and a narrow band above the bill that extends over the eyes, gray wings, and whitish underparts; males are larger than females. Juveniles are overall brown with light spots. The species’ stout bill is black; legs and feet are yellow, and the eyes are red. ‘Auku‘u (black-crowned night heron) are gregarious and unlike continental birds, those in Hawai‘i are diurnal. The species uses a variety of shallow wetlands for foraging and employs various techniques to capture a diversity of prey including insects, fish, frogs, mice, and the young of other native waterbirds. Information on breeding in Hawai‘i is limited, but the species is a colonial nester, and in North America breeding occurs from December to August. Eggs are laid in a bulky stick nest usually placed low in vegetation.
For more information: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/files/2013/09/Fact-Sheet-Black-crowned-night-heron.pdf
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