Scientific name: Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus, 1758).

Night herons are distributed almost worldwide including North America, South America, South Europe, Africa, South Asia, Falkland Islands, and Hawaii. The Black-crowned night
heron is a rare visitor to Micronesia. In the Hawaiian Islands, they can be found in all coastal wetlands. Black-crowned Night Herons are common winter breeding residents
of the United States Gulf Coast.

Black-crowned night herons are found by marshes at night and by day they roost communally. Besides marshes, they inhabit wetlands, like ponds, swamps, tropical mangroves, streams, rivers,
mud flats, and edges of lakes. They have even been found in rice fields and other agricultural habitats near water. Larger wetlands will have substantial colonies of black-crown
night herons, whereas, they may be seen alone or in small groups by less significant bodies of fresh or salt water.

Books: Herons and Egrets of the World: A Photographic Journey