Royal Palm Reserve: FEATURE Black Crowned Nht

by Keisha Spencer Education & Outreach Officer Negril area Environmental Protection Trust

Black Crowned Night Heron: nycticorax

Herons are long-legged wading , sometimes called egrets or gaulins. Their necks have a typical S-shape because the vertebrae (bones) in their necks are unequal in length. There are over 8 different species of within the Negril Great Morass and they can be seen at the reserve. The Black Crowned Night Heron is one of the most rare and unusual birds that resides in the swamp forest. This bird has various different colours based on its stage of maturity. It has a hunched over posture with its head tucked down into its shoulders and when standing is 23-28 inches and has a wing span of 45 inches. Its plumage (feathers) is gray and white with a unique black cap and a pair of white plumes that extend from the back of the head. The black feathers from the head and back emit a bluish-green gloss and the legs become red during the breeding season.

Like the whistling ducks, these herons are nocturnal (feed only at nights). While their other heron relatives are sleeping, they are up, fending for , , crustaceans and other small . It is said that they have very strong digestive acids that dissolve the large bones of their ‘catch’. Black crowned night herons are not sweet singers; they make a loud harsh squawk or a noisy crock, crock.

They nest in colonies amongst reeds, mangroves, and ponds, in nest made of reeds, sticks or twigs. The females lay 3-4 bluish-green between February and March and again between June and July. Both the mother and the father incubate the eggs and after a period of 24 to 26 days the downy young hatches. The parents through regurgitation (bring up chewed food in the stomach) feed the nestlings. After six to seven weeks the young leaves the nest to fend for themselves.

Photograph 1: Adult Heron

An Adult Heron has the following features: -

1). Red Eyes

2). Black Bill

3). Black Crown & Back

4). White face, throat, chest & belly

5). Blue Gray Wings

6). Yellow Legs

Photograph 2: Juvenile Heron

The Juvenile Heron has the following features: -

1). Yellow amber eyes

2). Yellow base to bill 3). Brown head, neck, chest and belly with white streaks

4). Dark brown wings and back with large white spots at tip of the feathers.

Photograph 3: Immature Heron

The Immature Heron has:-

1). Full adult feathers in the third year.

2). The first year bird resemble the juvenile however, they have lesser spots o n the upper wings and a dark cap.

3). In the second year they look more like the adult, with a brown neck.

“Taming the Birds at the Royal Palm Reserve”

Can you guess how many different species of birds are there at the Negril Royal Palm Reserve?

Photograph 4: The colorful West Indian Whistling Duck

Well there are over fifty different species of birds that inhabit the forest of the Negril Royal Palm Reserve. One of the largest numbers of species is the West Indian Whistling Duck (over 200 birds). The reserve staff will say that in the past, these birds have been wild and take flight at every motion observed. Now, they will actually eat from the palm of your hand. They are being tamed.

This change in behavior is attributed to the new feeding programme that is being implemented under the Bird Life Project. One of the aims of this project is to increase the number of local bird species and to e nhance the bird watching tour. The feeding programme incorporates the use of crushed corn, ripe oranges and sugar and water (granulated sugar). The birds are fed twice per day, 8:00 am in the morning and 4:30 in the afternoon.

It is observed that the crushed corn is a favorite of the Whistling Ducks, Antillean Grackle, Bald Pate (white crowned pigeon), common Moorhen, Grass quit, and the Northern Jacana. The American Redstart favors the ripe oranges. During their “snack break” you can get up close and personal to check out their features. The West Indian Whistling-Duck is the largest of the whistling-ducks with a dark brown upper body and breast and a light b elly with dark spots on the flanks. The face, chin, and sides of the upper throat are whitish with back of head and neck dark brown.

Bird lover and Senior Research Assistant at the Reserve , Mrs. Dian Brown - Holgate says that she is ecstatic by the success of the feeding programme and hopes to identify more new species of birds at the reserve.

Contact Information: Keisha Spencer Education & Outreach Officer Negril area Environmental Protection Trust Negril Marine Headquarters 876 957 3736 [email protected] www.neptja.com