Black-crowned Night-Heron

Kauaʻi evidence

Bishop Museum island checklist (version 2, 2017) lists Kauaʻi status R: native resident. See original island table. A Hawaiʻi-level record is available, but the species needs a documented Kauaʻi observation before local ecological conclusions are drawn.

Occurrence evidence

bishop_island_checklist_2017

Names and classification

Scientific name

Nycticorax nycticorax

Common names

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Family

Ardeidae

Order

Pelecaniformes

Record type

Species

Kauaʻi occurrence and status

Kauaʻi occurrence

Kauaʻi documented: native resident (2017 island checklist)

Origin

Indigenous

Conservation status

Not assessed

Evidence date

2026-09-13

Evidence limits

Island occurrence supported by the 2017 checklist; abundance and current year presence are not established here

Habitat and ecology

Habitats

Wetlands · Ponds · Streams · Estuaries · Urban areas

Food and resource needs

Insects, fish, frogs, mice, and young of other native waterbirds

Reproduction

Suitable nesting or roosting sites, seasonal food, and protection from disturbance and predators.

Shelter

Shelter and structure within wetlands, ponds, streams.

Threats and conservation

Threats

Shares Hawaiian waterbird threats: wetland loss, invasive plants, botulism, contaminants, and predation pressure · Also directly predates young native waterbirds

Conservation actions

Track as both native wetland species and predator relation · Pair observations with nesting-stage vulnerability of stilts, coots, gallinules, and ducks

Monitoring

Document date, place, observer, habitat, behavior, and supporting media for any Kauaʻi observation.

Data gaps

Update island status with dated contemporary records · Specific Kauaʻi habitat and abundance need local evidence

Process and seasonal context

Seasonal timing

Resident Indigenous Waterbird

Seasonal description

Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is recorded as a native resident on Kauaʻi in the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist. This is a documented island occurrence, not a claim of an individual sighting in 2026.

Sources and further reading

• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/aukuu/
• https://hawaiibirdingtrails.hawaii.gov/bird/black-crowned-night-heron/
• https://hawaiibirdingtrails.hawaii.gov/birding_hotspot/kawai%CA%BBele-state-waterbird-sanctuary/
• https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/birds/aeo/
• https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/SEHIlist.htm

Explore field guides

• Kauaʻi Birds