Black-crowned Night Heron

Stocky heron with neck usually tucked in. Adults overall pale grayish with black cap and back. Red eyes. Juveniles noticeably different, brown and streaky with yellow eyes. Often crouched under overhanging branches during the day. Feeds nocturnally for fish, frogs and other prey. Where it overlaps with Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, note large teardrop-shaped white spots on wing coverts which Yellow-crowned lacks.

Black-crowned Night Herons are found in wetlands, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water in Sri Lanka. They are also known to frequent rice fields and fish ponds.

Black-crowned Night Herons are opportunistic feeders that eat a wide variety of animals, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. They also eat carrion, plants, and garbage.