Nankeen Night Heron

Nankeen Night Heron
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
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

• 

  Juvenile visiting the Little Penguin enclosure at Melbourne Zoo

• 

  In flight, Lake Monger

• Samsonvale Cemetery, SE Queensland, Australia

• 

  Adult at Fremantle Harbour

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

• BirdLife Species Factsheet
• Birds of Perth