Alberta · Summer breeder

Black-crowned Night Herons in Alberta

When black-crowned night herons are present in Alberta, when they nest, which native Alberta plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 2a–4b yard.

Herons and egrets (Ardeidae)Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax

Status in Alberta: Summer breeder
Nesting window: April–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: Canada 2a–4b

When to expect black-crowned night herons in Alberta

Black-crowned Night Herons are summer residents in Alberta, arriving shortly before nesting begins in April and leaving after the young are independent.

Continental — prairie in the southeast, aspen parkland in the center, boreal forest in the north and the Rockies in the west.

Nesting in Alberta

Across Alberta, black-crowned night herons typically nest from April–July. Plan around that window: March for setup, July for clean-out.

Warm, sunny summers with long days.

Black-crowned Night Herons don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as paper birch, chokecherry, rabbitbrush for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Alberta plants that attract black-crowned night herons

Of the regional native plants we track for Alberta, these 8 provide food or cover black-crowned night herons use:

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa · Shrub

Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.

Douglas fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii · Tree

Seed for crossbills, siskins and chickadees.

Balsam fir

Abies balsamea · Tree

Spruce-budworm habitat and dense winter roosting cover.

White spruce

Picea glauca · Tree

Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.

Tamarack

Larix laricina · Tree

Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.

Willow (Bebb)

Salix bebbiana · Shrub

Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds.

Feeding black-crowned night herons through the Alberta year

Top foods: None — night-hunts ponds and wetlands.
In Alberta's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

Full diet breakdown for black-crowned night herons · Best feeder for black-crowned night herons

Frequently asked

Are black-crowned night herons in Alberta year-round?

No. Black-crowned Night Herons are summer breeders in Alberta and leave for the winter.

When do black-crowned night herons nest in Alberta?

Nesting in Alberta typically runs April–July, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–5 eggs, incubated for 21–26 days.

What native plants attract black-crowned night herons in Alberta?

Paper birch, Chokecherry, Rabbitbrush, Douglas fir, Balsam fir, White spruce, Tamarack, Willow (Bebb) are native plants in Alberta that provide food or cover for black-crowned night herons.

Other backyard birds in Alberta

Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Yellow-rumped Warbler Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Rufous Hummingbird Spotted Towhee Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush Violet-green Swallow Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove American Crow Common Raven Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Pine Grosbeak Red Crossbill Gray Catbird Western Tanager Clark's Nutcracker Western Screech-Owl Yellow Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler Red-eyed Vireo Warbling Vireo Least Flycatcher Western Kingbird Cliff Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Common Nighthawk Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Burrowing Owl Lewis's Woodpecker Black-backed Woodpecker American Three-toed Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Snow Bunting Lapland Longspur Horned Lark Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll White-winged Crossbill Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch Bohemian Waxwing Bobolink Yellow-headed Blackbird Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Rock Pigeon

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.