Follow us on FACEBOOK
Dominica Botanic Gardens
  • Home
  • About
    • Introduction to Website
    • A Brief History
    • Plan of Gardens
    • Contemporary Commentary
  • Botanic Gardens
    • Selected Trees and Shrubs
    • Medicinal Plants
    • Gardens Activities
    • Florida's Fairchild Garden
    • Parrot and Small Animal Sanctuary
    • Birds of the Gardens
    • Three Virtual Tours
    • Panoramic Views Today
    • Early Panoramic Views
    • Hurricane David's Ravages
    • Future Developments
    • Curators and Administrators
    • Reports and Documents
    • Getting Involved
    • Related Links
  • Hosted Sites
    • Honorees
    • Island Scholars
    • Cabinet Photos
    • Treasures of the Cathedral
    • Diaspora Policy Paper
  • DAAS
  • Contact

Birds of the Botanic Gardens

Yellow-crowned Night Heron: Nycticorax violaceus; Local name: Kwabyé, Kwabyé Jenga;
Family: Ardeidae (Herons and Bitterns)

Description: The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is a short, stocky, wading bird, widespread in Dominica. It is of medium size, about 55-70 cm (22-28 in) in length, with a wingspan of a little under 1.2 m (4 ft), one of the larger resident breeding birds in Dominica. It has a slate gray body, a black head with a white streak on the side of the face and a yellowish-white crown; has a thick, black bill, red eyes, a short neck, and long, yellow to orange legs, extending beyond tail when bird in flight. In breeding season, has distinct yellow plume of feathers on its head. Males and females look alike. Immature individuals are streaked grayish and brown all over. This Heron typically lives on the banks of rivers, lakes, swamps and ponds; feeds mostly at night but is active by day as well; lives chiefly on crabs and crayfish, but will also eat fish and shellfish; it is occasionally seen in the economic section of the Gardens; click  here  to listen to its call, and  here  to see its video.

References:
Arlington James, et al. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005
James Bond. Birds of the West Indies. Collins, St James Place, London, 4th Edition, 1979
Herbert Raffaele, et al. Birds of the West Indies. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2003
Fred J. Alsop III. Birds of Florida. Smithsonian Handbooks, Dorling Kindersley, NewYork, 2002.
​​Gardens Introduction

​

Preface - How it Began
Introduction to Website
A Brief History
Plan of Gardens 
Contemporary Commentary​
​Trees, Shrubs, Birds

​
​
Selected Trees and Shrubs
Medicinal Plants
​
Gardens Activities
  Florida's Fairchild Garden
Parrot/Animal Sanctuary
Birds of the Gardens
Garden Views

​
​
Three Virtual Tours
Panoramic Views Today
Early Panoramic Views
 
Hurricane David's Ravages
Future Developments
Curators/Administrators
Reports and Documents
  
Getting Involved
Related Links
Sub-sites

​

Honorees
Island Scholars
Cabinet Photos
​​Treasures of the Cathedral

​Diaspora Policy Paper
​

Visit the DAAS  Website
Picture
HOME
Site by
CONTACT 
Picture

Copyright © -  Davison Shillingford, Clayton Shillingford and (the late) Raglan Riviere