Black-crowned Night Herons reach District of Columbia in mid November, are common by late November, peak in late May (5.3% of checklists), and most are gone by mid July.
When to look
First arrivalsNov 15-21mid November
Common byNov 22-30late November
PeakMay 22-31late May
Most gone byJul 15-21mid July
Best: late May. First arrivals mid November; most are gone by mid July. Peak: on about 5.3% of District of Columbia checklists.
Janpeak season
Febcommon
Marcommon
Aprcommon
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julcommon
Auguncommon
Seprare
Octrare
Novuncommon
Decpeak season
Darker months: more checklists report it. Outlined: peak month.
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.
Frequency is the share of complete checklists in District of Columbia that listed the bird, 2016–2025. It is not a head count, and it follows where and when people go birding. How to read it.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
0%few checklistsno data
Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.
Taras Shevchenko StatueDistrict of Columbia County, best early May · 47 checklists that week, 485 in all25%
Woodley PlaygroundDistrict of Columbia County, best the second week of April · 34 checklists that week, 1,196 in all25%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In District of Columbia, the Black-crowned Night Heron is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (3.7% of those checklists).
Share of checklists started in each local hour that reported it. It reflects when people go birding as well as when birds are active. Grey hours have too few checklists (under 2% of the state’s, or under 200) to judge.Week-by-week table
Month
Days 1-7
8-14
15-21
22-end
January
5.6%
3.5%
3.7%
3.5%
February
3.0%
3.3%
2.2%
3.3%
March
4.2%
3.2%
3.1%
4.9%
April
3.4%
3.0%
2.3%
2.6%
May
3.5%
4.6%
5.3%
5.9%
June
3.8%
2.3%
2.6%
2.4%
July
2.4%
2.3%
1.6%
1.5%
August
1.2%
1.1%
1.4%
1.0%
September
0.6%
0.6%
0.3%
0.4%
October
0.5%
0.4%
0.1%
0.2%
November
0.6%
0.7%
1.3%
1.5%
December
2.1%
2.5%
3.1%
3.9%
Neighboring states
Maryland: arrives late March, 17 weeks later than District of Columbia
Delaware: arrives late March, 17 weeks later than District of Columbia
New Jersey: arrives early April, 18 weeks later than District of Columbia
New York: arrives the second week of April, 19 weeks later than District of Columbia
Common questions
When do Black-crowned Night Herons arrive in District of Columbia?
Black-crowned Night Herons reach District of Columbia in mid November, are common by late November, peak in late May (5.3% of checklists), and most are gone by mid July.
When do Black-crowned Night Herons leave District of Columbia?
Most Black-crowned Night Herons have left District of Columbia by mid July, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until mid August.
When is the best time to see a Black-crowned Night Heron in District of Columbia?
The Black-crowned Night Heron is reported most often in late May, on about 5.3% of District of Columbia checklists.
Where in District of Columbia are Black-crowned Night Herons seen most often?
By county, District of Columbia County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Black-crowned Night Heron (counties with at least 200 checklists).
