Nankeen Night Heron

Nankeen Night Heron
Nankeen Night Heron
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Nycticorax
Species: N. caledonicus
Binomial name
Nycticorax caledonicus
Gmelin, 1789
Subspecies
  • N. c. caledonicus (Gmelin, 1789)
    New Caledonian Nankeen Night Heron
  • N. c. manillensis Vigors, 1831
    Celebes Sea Nankeen Night Heron
  • N. c. crassirostris Vigors, 1839
    Bonin Nankeen Night Heron (extinct)
  • N. c. mandibularis Ogilvie-Grant, 1888
    Solomon Nankeen Night Heron
  • N. c. hilli Mathews, 1912
    Common Nankeen Night Heron
  • N. c. pelewensis Mathews, 1926
    Micronesian Nankeen Night Heron
Synonyms
  • Ardea caledonica
    Gmelin, 1789

The Nankeen Night Heron, Nycticorax caledonicus, also commonly referred to as the Rufous Night Heron, and in Melanesia as Melabaob, is a medium-sized heron. It is found throughout much of Australia except the arid inland, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Melanesia. A small colony has also established near Wanganui, New Zealand

The Nankeen Night Heron stands about 60cm tall with a stooped appearance. It is not strictly nocturnal. It often feeds during the day, especially during wet weather. The bird is dependent on a diet of small fish, reptiles, insects and sometimes eggs. It can be seen around freshwater rivers, lakes, bulrushes, estuaries, harbors and in residential fishponds for goldfish.

The species breeds in the period from September to April, building a nest platform out of sticks. It nests communally, near water. Two to five light green eggs are laid, with a 22-day incubation followed by a 42-49 day fledging period.

Widespread throughout its large range, the Nankeen Night Heron is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Various views and plumages

References

  • BirdLife International (2008). Nycticorax caledonicus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 4 February 2009. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • nankeen night heron — noun a common small nocturnal heron, Nycticorax caledonicus, with rufous upper parts and wings, found in Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. Also, rufous night heron …  

  • nankeen night heron — noun see nankeen bird …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bonin Nankeen Night Heron — Bonin Night Heron Conservation status Extinct (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • night heron — /ˈnaɪt hɛrən / (say nuyt heruhn) noun any of certain thick billed herons of crepuscular or nocturnal habits, of the genus Nycticorax and allied genera, as the nankeen night heron, Nycticorax caledonicus …  

  • Réunion Night Heron — Conservation status Extinct (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification Kingdom …   Wikipedia

  • rufous night heron — noun → nankeen night heron …  

  • Nankeen — Nankeen, also called Nankeen cloth, is a kind of pale yellowish cloth, originally made at Nanjing from a yellow variety of cotton, but subsequently manufactured from ordinary cotton which is then dyed. Also in the plural a piece or variety of… …   Wikipedia

  • heron — /her euhn/, n. any of numerous long legged, long necked, usually long billed birds of the family Ardeidae, including the true herons, egrets, night herons, and bitterns. [1275 1325; ME heiro(u)n, hero(u)n < MF hairon (F héron) < Gmc; cf. OHG… …   Universalium

  • Heron — /hear on/, n. Hero (def. 2). * * * Any of about 60 species of long legged wading birds in the same family (Ardeidae) as egrets and bitterns. They are found worldwide but are most common in the tropics. They wade in the shallow waters of pools,… …   Universalium

  • nankeen bird — noun or nankeen night heron : an Australian night heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) …   Useful english dictionary

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