'Auku'u Stands still eyeing prey, Active under the night sky, Stocky, grey, black cap. Black-Crowned Night Heron

The 'Auku'u or Black-Crowned Night Heron is a migratory water bird. They are found on all of the main Hawaiian Islands. The Black-Crowned Night Heron is about 24-26 inches in height, and are considered to be a small heron. With a wingspan of about 4 feet, this is a very powerful bird.

The 'Auku'u's plumage color ranges form white to light beige on its underside, black to tinted blue-grey on its crown and back.

The young are brown and grey.

While the adult heron can have varying color tints, juveniles, or the young, have yellow-amber eyes, dull grey legs, a brown head, neck, and underside. It looks like they've been splattered with white paint. Their dark brown wing, and the blotches of white on their feathers make them look like they went rummaging in a dump, which many of the adults do.

Immatures are birds from the ages of 1 to 3 years. Immatures have less splotches on their wings and a darker cap.

Juveniles are one year of age and younger. In human years, the immature stage is from the teens to adulthood.

The adults have red eyes, a black bill, and yellow legs. Though this may seem to describe them as colorful birds, their feathers are rather dull. They have a black crown, back of head, and back. Sometimes their dark feathers are grayish or with a tint of a blue-gray in it. Their head, chest, and belly are usually white and sometimes striped.

As an overveiw, the Heron is about 23-28 inches tall with a wingspan of almost 4 feet. This is a rather stocky heron with short legs and neck. They have gray feathers, sometimes with a tint of blue, on their wings and a white underside.

In breeding season, they have 2 plumes on their head. Adults have red eyes and yellow feet. Females are slightly smaller than the males.