The black-crowned night heron is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world. It is migratory in the northernmost part of its range, but otherwise resident. They often spend their days perched on tree limbs or concealed among foliage and branches. They forage in the evening and at night, in water, on mudflats, and on land. They are among the seven heron species observed to engage in bait fishing; luring or distracting fish by tossing edible or inedible buoyant objects into water within their striking range – a rare example of tool use among birds.
夜鷺是一種在世界上大部分的地區都可看得到的中型鷺。在北方地區繁殖的夜鷺為候鳥，否則是留鳥。它們通常白天棲息在樹枝上或藏在枝葉間。 傍晚和晚上在水，泥灘和陸地上覓食。它們是會用誘餌捕魚的七個鷺類之一，它們將可食或不可食的漂浮物拋入它們可襲擊範圍的水中，來引誘或分散魚的注意力，這是在鳥類裏會使用工具的罕見例子。
Notes 筆記
- The black-crowned night heron 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, except in the coldest regions and Australasia.
- Adults have a black crown and back with the remainder of the body white or grey, red eyes, and short yellow legs.
- The male Black-crowned Night Heron chooses a nest site in a tree or in cattails. They are very noisy birds in their nesting colonies. They nest in groups that often include other species, including herons, egrets, and ibises. They will brood any chick that is placed in its nest. The herons apparently don’t distinguish between their own offspring and nestlings from other parents.
- The breeding habitat is fresh and salt-water wetlands throughout much of the world.
- This heron is migratory in the northernmost part of its range, but otherwise resident (even in the cold Patagonia). The North American population winters in Mexico, the southern United States, Central America, and the West Indies, and the Old World birds winter in tropical Africa and southern Asia.
- They often spend their days perched on tree limbs or concealed among foliage and branches. They forage in the evening and at night, in water, on mudflats, and on land. These birds stand still at the water’s edge and wait to ambush prey, mainly at night or early morning. They primarily eat small fish, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, small mammals, and small birds. They are among the seven heron species observed to engage in bait fishing; luring or distracting fish by tossing edible or inedible buoyant objects into water within their striking range – a rare example of tool use among birds.
- Young Black-crowned Night-Herons leave the nest at the age of 1 month but cannot fly until they are 6 weeks old. They move through the vegetation on foot, joining up in foraging flocks at night.
- 黑頂夜鷺在歐亞大陸通常簡稱為夜鷺，俗稱灰窪子，夜窪子，星雁，暗光鳥仔。夜鷺閩南語稱為“暗光鳥”，客家語稱為“夜鶴”，這個詞也常被代指徹夜未眠的人（同等夜貓子）。除了最冷的地區和大洋洲外，是一種在世界上大部分的地區都可看得到的中型鷺。
- 成年夜鷺有黑色的冠，背部身體其餘部分為白色或灰色，有紅色的眼睛和黃色短腿。
- 雄性夜鷺會在樹上或香蒲上築巢。它們在築巢地非常吵。它們是在集群繁殖，通常與其他物種，如蒼鷺，白鷺和朱鷺一起。它們會孵化在巢中的任何小鷺，蒼鷺並不會區分自己的後代和其他鷺的雛鳥。
- 它們在世界各地的淡水和鹹水濕地繁殖棲息。
- 在北方地區繁殖的夜鷺為候鳥，否則是留鳥（即使在寒冷的巴塔哥尼亞也是如此）。北美的夜鷺去墨西哥，美國南部，中美洲和西印度群島過冬，而舊世界的鳥群則在熱帶非洲和南亞過冬。夜鷺在台灣為常見的留鳥，由於性喜食魚，魚類養殖業者視其為害鳥。曾被誤認為企鵝。在中國大陸全境都能看到它們的身影，在中國東北地區，華北，甘肅，四川，華中，長江流域等省區繁殖，為夏候鳥，在長江以南省份為留鳥。
- 夜鷺白天棲息在樹枝上或藏在枝葉間。 傍晚和晚上在水，泥灘和陸地上覓食。在晚上或清晨，它們會停在水邊，等待伏擊獵物。它們主要吃小魚，甲殼類動物，青蛙，水生昆蟲，小型哺乳動物和小型鳥類。 它們是會用誘餌捕魚的七個鷺類之一，它們將可食或不可食的漂浮物拋入它們可襲擊範圍的水中，來引誘或分散魚的注意力，這是在鳥類裏會使用工具的罕見例子。
- 雛鳥夜鷺在1個月大時離巢，但要等到6周大時才能飛翔。 它們步行穿過植被，在夜間與其它夜鷺一起覓食。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Black-crowned night heron
- All about birds: Black-crowned Night-Heron
- 維基百科: 夜鹭
- 百度百科: 夜鷺 （鷺科夜鷺屬鳥類的一種)
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