Nyctanassa

See also: Nycticorax

Nyctanassa is a genus of night herons from the Americas, especially (but not exclusively) warmer coastal regions. They were formerly included in the genus Nycticorax, but today all major authorities recognize them as different.

Nyctanassa
Yellow-crowned night heron (N. violacea)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Pelecaniformes
Family:	Ardeidae
Subfamily:	Ardeinae
Genus:	Nyctanassa Stejneger, 1887
Species
N. carcinocatactes (extinct) N. violacea

The name comes from Ancient Greek words for "night" and "lady" or "queen", referring to the yellow-crowned night heron's nocturnal activity and its beauty.

Species

Image	Scientific name	Common Name	Distribution
	†Nyctanassa carcinocatactes (extinct)	Bermuda night heron	Bermuda.
	Nyctanassa violacea	Yellow-crowned night heron	south Florida, the Gulf Coast (Louisiana to Alabama), and the eastern Texas coast; Mexico, Central America, Galápagos - Ecuador, the Caribbean and northern South America (south to Peru and Brazil in coastal regions)

References

• "Check-list of North American Birds". American Ornithologists' Union. 1998–2006. Archived from the original on 2007-07-23. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
• Holloway, Joel Ellis (2003). Dictionary of Birds of the United States: Scientific and Common Names. Timber Press. p. 134. ISBN 0-88192-600-0.
• "The Internet Bird Collection". Handbook of the Birds of the World. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
• Peterson, Alan P. (Editor). 1999. Zoological Nomenclature Resource (Zoonomen). Accessed 2007-7-29.
• Remsen, J. V., Jr., C. D. Cadena, A. Jaramillo, M. Nores, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, T. S. Schulenberg, F. G. Stiles, D. F. Stotz, and K. J. Zimmer. [Version 2007-07-29.] A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithologists' Union. Accessed 2007-04-10.