Florida · Year-round resident

Black-crowned Night Herons in Florida

When black-crowned night herons are present in Florida, when they nest, which native Florida plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 8a–11b yard.

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

Status in Florida: Year-round resident
Nesting window: February–July
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 8a–11b

When to expect black-crowned night herons in Florida

Black-crowned Night Herons live in Florida all year. Winter is the busy feeder season as northern migrants — goldfinches, wrens and others — arrive from October. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them.

Humid subtropical in the north to tropical in the Keys; a wet summer and a dry winter season.

Nesting in Florida

Across Florida, black-crowned night herons typically nest from February–July. Plan around that window: January for setup, July for clean-out.

Heat, humidity and summer storms: boxes need drainage holes, ventilation and shade, and nectar spoils fast.

Black-crowned Night Herons don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as southern live oak, flowering dogwood, serviceberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Florida plants that attract black-crowned night herons

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

Southern live oak

Quercus virginiana · Tree

Acorns and insect-rich bark.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Spicebush

Lindera benzoin · Shrub

Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.

Feeding black-crowned night herons through the Florida year

Top foods: None — night-hunts ponds and wetlands.
In Florida's winter: Winter is the busy feeder season as northern migrants — goldfinches, wrens and others — arrive from October.

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

Frequently asked

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

Yes. Black-crowned Night Herons are year-round residents in Florida.

When do black-crowned night herons nest in Florida?

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

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

Southern live oak, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum, Spicebush are native plants in Florida that provide food or cover for black-crowned night herons.

Other backyard birds in Florida

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown-headed Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Orchard Oriole Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Painted Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird House Sparrow European Starling Rufous Hummingbird Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove White-winged Dove American Crow Cooper's Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Barred Owl Great Horned Owl American Kestrel Wood Duck Wild Turkey Northern Bobwhite Mallard Great Blue Heron Belted Kingfisher Eastern Meadowlark Brown-headed Cowbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Winter Wren Red Crossbill Field Sparrow Gray Catbird Lark Sparrow Florida Scrub-Jay Hooded Merganser Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Black-and-white Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Yellow-breasted Chat Orange-crowned Warbler Palm Warbler White-eyed Vireo Northern Rough-winged Swallow Common Nighthawk Eastern Whip-poor-will Canada Goose American Coot Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper American Woodcock Green Heron Great Egret Turkey Vulture Black Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Northern Saw-whet Owl Barn Owl Burrowing Owl Red-cockaded Woodpecker Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Horned Lark Blue Grosbeak White-winged Crossbill Brown-headed Nuthatch Yellow-billed Cuckoo Brewer's Blackbird Rusty Blackbird Boat-tailed Grackle Rock Pigeon Monk Parakeet

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.