San Diego Bird Finding: Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron. Imperial Beach, California. February 7, 2015. Greg Gillson.

Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are rare residents in the San Diego area. Since 2012 there are 3 areas with multiple reports: San Diego River/Sea World, Tijuana River Valley, and Imperial Beach.

Currently, the only reliable place to find these birds in San Diego is at the Imperial Beach Sports Park, on Imperial Beach Blvd, right next to 4th Street.

Since January 2012 Yellow-crowned Night-Herons have been regular at the Imperial Beach Sports Park. They roost during the day in the trees over the parking lot. One or two nests have been active in June and July since their discovery.

Black-crowned Night Herons are also regular here.