Perch Supply
Diet

What do black-crowned night herons eat?

Fish, frogs and crustaceans, hunted mainly after dark.

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

Spring and summer diet

  • Fish, frogs, crayfish and insects

Fall and winter diet

  • Fish in ice-free water

Best feeder foods

  • None — night-hunts ponds and wetlands

Roosts in dense trees by day and raids ponds at night; often overlooked in city parks.

Which feeder works best for black-crowned night herons →

Where black-crowned night herons need winter food

Regions where black-crowned night herons are present in the cold months:

AlabamaArkansasCaliforniaFloridaGeorgiaKentuckyLouisianaMississippiNorth CarolinaOregonSouth CarolinaTennesseeTexasWashington

Frequently asked

What do black-crowned night herons eat?

Fish, frogs and crustaceans, hunted mainly after dark.

What is the best food to feed black-crowned night herons?

None — night-hunts ponds and wetlands.

What do black-crowned night herons eat in winter?

Fish in ice-free water.

Sources

  1. Black-crowned Night Heron — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Black-crowned Night Heron life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Black-crowned Night Heron — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

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.