Black-crowned Night Herons reach New Mexico in mid November, are common by late December, peak in late May (2.9% of checklists), and most are gone by late September.
When to look
First arrivalsNov 15-21mid November
Common byDec 22-31late December
PeakMay 22-31late May
Most gone bySep 22-30late September
Best: late May. First arrivals mid November; most are gone by late September. Peak: on about 2.9% of New Mexico checklists.
Jancommon
Febcommon
Marcommon
Aprpeak season
Maypeak season
Junpeak season
Julpeak season
Augcommon
Sepcommon
Octuncommon
Novuncommon
Deccommon
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 New Mexico 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.
Curry CountyBest mid September · 110 checklists that week, 2,926 in all24%
Valencia CountyBest the second week of June · 144 checklists that week, 8,351 in all20%
Chaves CountyBest late July · 82 checklists that week, 5,298 in all11%
Lea CountyBest early December · 27 checklists that week, 2,698 in all8.3%
Harding CountyBest late October · 22 checklists that week, 932 in all7.3%
Dona Ana CountyBest early February · 596 checklists that week, 29,776 in all7.0%
Best spots
Share of checklists at the peak
Young ParkDona Ana County, best late January · 24 checklists that week, 533 in all76%
Bosque (Old Town)Bernalillo County, best mid January · 73 checklists that week, 2,390 in all47%
La Llorona ParkDona Ana County, best late October · 37 checklists that week, 1,183 in all45%
Busy spots report more of everything; compare the checklist counts before you drive anywhere.
Best time of day
In New Mexico, the Black-crowned Night Heron is most often listed on checklists started between 6 and 8 am (2.7% 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
1.6%
1.6%
1.5%
1.8%
February
1.2%
1.0%
1.2%
1.1%
March
1.1%
1.2%
1.1%
1.4%
April
1.5%
2.0%
2.4%
2.9%
May
2.9%
2.5%
2.7%
2.9%
June
3.1%
2.6%
2.8%
2.5%
July
2.3%
2.4%
2.2%
2.1%
August
2.1%
2.4%
1.9%
2.3%
September
1.8%
1.8%
1.7%
1.3%
October
1.1%
1.0%
0.9%
0.8%
November
0.8%
1.0%
0.8%
1.0%
December
1.1%
1.1%
1.0%
1.2%
Neighboring states
Arizona: year-round, peaks the second week of January
Colorado: arrives the second week of April, 19 weeks later than New Mexico
Utah: arrives early April, 18 weeks later than New Mexico
Oklahoma: arrives late April, 21 weeks later than New Mexico
Common questions
When do Black-crowned Night Herons arrive in New Mexico?
Black-crowned Night Herons reach New Mexico in mid November, are common by late December, peak in late May (2.9% of checklists), and most are gone by late September.
When do Black-crowned Night Herons leave New Mexico?
Most Black-crowned Night Herons have left New Mexico by late September, when reports fall below half their usual rate. Stragglers are still reported until the second week of October.
When is the best time to see a Black-crowned Night Heron in New Mexico?
The Black-crowned Night Heron is reported most often in late May, on about 2.9% of New Mexico checklists.
Where in New Mexico are Black-crowned Night Herons seen most often?
By county, Curry County, Valencia County, and Chaves County have the highest peak reporting rates for the Black-crowned Night Heron (counties with at least 200 checklists).
