Characterization: Large species measuring about 60cm in length. It has large, red eyes, grayish wings and elongated, white nuchal feathers; the top of its head and back are black. When young, this bird is brown with white spots.

Distribution: From Canada to Tierra del Fuego, including Brazil and also in the Old World.

Habitat: Edge of lagoons, swamps, marshes, rivers, and dams. It is cosmopolitan.

Habits: Aquatic, nocturnal, and crepuscular species.

Diet: Carnivorous, this bird feeds on fish, aquatic insects (imagos and larvae), crabs, mollusks, amphibians, and reptiles.

Breeding: This bird lays 1-2 eggs in a nest built on trees or shrubs in the swamps. Breeding usually comes at the beginning or end of the dry season, when food for waterfowl is usually more plentiful.

In the UFRA area: The Black-crowned Night Heron had a spatial distribution restricted to drainage ditches. It is considered rare in the studied areas, as it was found only once.