Black-Crowned Night Herons  

A decline in these handsome birds was noted both during the June meeting of your Saint Paul Birding Alliance Board of Directors and in the New York Times (dated June 3, 2026). The Board of Directors begins each meeting with a conversation about cool birds, FOY birds, and other bird lore from Minnesota’s fields, waterways, and lands.  

The population of New York City Black-Crowned Night Herons, a bird described by the Times as “rugged,” has taken a “precipitous nosedive” in recent years. Reporter Hilary Howard wrote:  

“Black-crowned night herons, with their muted colors and distinctive white tendrils, are quintessential New Yorkers. ‘They are fashionable, they stay out late and they love exploring new places,’ said Dustin Partridge, the director of conservation and science at NYC Bird Alliance.” 

Patridge also said they are a “sentinel species,” which fails to thrive when a pollutant or other problem is present. “The black-crowned night herons are telling us there is another problem, . . . They are the canary in the coal mine.” 

The decline in the Black-Crowned Night Heron population in Minnesota was reported in the comprehensive “Breeding Birds of Minnesota: History, Ecology, and Conservation (pp. 228-229).” Co-authors Lee Pfannmuller, Gerald Niemi, and Janet C. Green brought together definitive data, readable text, and many photos to make this modern companion to Roberts “Birds of Minnesota.” Habitat loss is among the culprits in their decline. 

Photo Richard Swartz