
Black-crowned Night Heron

by Don Balke
Title
Black-crowned Night Heron
Artist
Don Balke
Medium
Painting - Watercolor On Cold Press Illustration Board
Description
Often seen in the evening sky as a dark silhouette -- head perfectly in line with its back and its bill pointed forward -- the Black-crowned Night Heron flies with steady beats of broad wings. While in flight, the Black-crowned utters a series of loud guttural "quoks". Primarily seen during their dusk feedings, the chunky, short-legged adults are not strictly nocturnal. These Herons frequent fresh water but may be found along salt marshes and woodland wetlands. Extremely social birds, the Black-crowned Herons gather in rookeries of dozens -- sometimes hundreds -- of birds. In these crowded rookeries, a red-footed male gathers sticks and weeds, while his mate works them into the nest. Mating birds shake their heads, rattle their bills, and nibble each other's plumage. Often, they utter soft, plaintive "wok-wok" sounds. Both parents incubate the bluish-green eggs until hatching occurs three weeks later. Nestlings at first get only regurgitated juices, but soon tug at the parent's beak for solid food. After the breeding season, Black-crowned Herons roam far away from the nesting sites. The Black-crowned Night Heron is also a particularly long-lived member of the Heron family, with banded birds collected fifteen to twenty years later. The Black-crowned is also called the Squawk, the American Night Heron and the qua-bird.
Please note the "Fine Art America" watermark will not appear on the painting or any print reproduction.
Artwork Copyright © 1986 Wind River Studios Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the Copyright. WRSH Stock Number XB10237
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April 7th, 2022
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