Nankeen Night Heron
A species of Nycticorax Night-herons Scientific name : Nycticorax caledonicus Genus : Nycticorax Night-herons
Nankeen Night Heron, A species of Nycticorax Night-herons
Botanical name: Nycticorax caledonicus
Genus: Nycticorax Night-herons
Content
Description People often ask General Info
Description
The nankeen night heron is a medium-sized heron. The adult male is 55 to 65 cm in length, while the female is slightly smaller, measuring 55 to 60 cm. Its weight varies from 810 g to 1014 g, and the wingspan ranges from 95 to 105 cm. Other than females being smaller in most measurements, the sexes of the nankeen night heron are alike in appearance. The nankeen night heron has a heavy black bill, which is similar in length as its head. The face is white with a cinnamon tint, and the nape and crown of breeding adults is a grey-black. During the breeding season, there are also usually two or three thin, white plumes from the crown in a downward direction to the neck. These are tipped with black when newly grown. The heron has a rich chestnut colour across the upperparts, and the colours are more intense in the breeding season. The underparts of the nankeen night heron are white, and there is a gradual blend of the chestnut colour and the white on its neck and upper breast. The back, tail, and upper wing of the bird are a rich rufous colour. The iris is of a straw yellow and can be tinged with orange during the breeding season, while the legs and feet are a creamy yellow. Their legs are relatively shorter than that of other herons, and can become bright pink during courtship and early breeding. Juvenile nankeen night herons are quite different in appearance compared to adults, with the top of their head and their nape being a black-brown colour and streaked with beige. The upper throat and chin are white, while the rest of the neck is heavily streaked with brown. The tail of juveniles is rufous-brown, the legs and feet are lime-green to olive-grey, and the bill is a dull olive-yellow colour with black on the tip. Nankeen night heron chicks are covered with dark brown down feather on their back and white on the undersides. They have cream coloured beaks with a dark grey edge, and the legs are olive. Voice Adult male nankeen night herons give a qu-arck sound when departing their roost at night, while females and juvenile nankeen night herons give a higher pitched qu-ook sound. When disturbed during roosting, the heron gives a short, deep quock. The nankeen night heron gives a hoarse, croaking quok when in flight, and a harsh croak sound while feeding in a group. The threat call of the bird is a rok sound and is used when in aggregations. Nankeen night heron chicks are described to beg with a kak-kakkak call in their first two weeks, in order to obtain the attention of their parents for feeding. They also squawk as they dispute among themselves. After leaving their nest, during the period when they are still flightless, young nankeen night herons utter a noisy high-pitched screech when alarmed. 
Size
59 cm
Colors
Brown
Black
Red
Bronze
White
Feeding Habits
Nankeen Night Heron predominantly consumes aquatic life such as crayfish—its principal prey—alongside fish, amphibians, and insects. It exhibits nocturnal and crepuscular foraging, wading in shallow waters or plunging from perches. Juveniles initially receive liquid food, progressing to regurgitated semi-solids.
Habitat
Nankeen Night Heron thrive in diverse environments, frequently in close proximity to water sources such as rivers, streams, and shallow coastal areas. They are found in habitats ranging from forests and grasslands to wetlands and mangroves, and up to elevations of 1600 meters. Nankeen Night Heron often occupy regions with abundant emergent vegetation, utilizing dense foliage for roosting. They adapt well to both rural and urban settings, nesting in parks, gardens, and artificial wetlands, sheltering within trees like cypresses and pines during the day.
Dite type
Carnivorous
People often ask
General Info
Behavior
The nankeen night heron is almost fully nocturnal. They tend to leave roosts shortly after sunset and are most active from dusk to dawn. They are attentive in general, including during roosting, but can be vulnerable to predators when feeding. However, the species remain stable and widespread, and there are no current conservation measures. Adult nankeen night herons in Australia are observed as partially migratory, moving during winter and major events such as flood and rainfall. Populations that regularly migrate in accordance to seasonal shifts usually move north and can go as far as Papua New Guinea, but some can also arrive in New Zealand, as well as Pacific islands such as Christmas Island, Lord Howe Island, and Cocos-Keeling Island. Other populations of the nankeen night heron are classified as sedentary and hardly migrate at all. When facing threats, male nankeen night herons will stand fully erect and make rasping sounds or snap its bill, signalling aggressive intentions. As opponents get close, agonistic behaviours of the male nankeen night heron includes pointing and snapping its bill and waving its wing, while crouching and glaring at its opponent. There are no records of agonistic behaviour in female nankeen night herons.
Distribution Area
Nankeen night herons have a broad distribution and are found in Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Java, New Caledonia, Palau, and the Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia. They are native to Australia and are widespread in most states of the country except for the west, in which it is rare or absent. Nankeen night herons have six subspecies, which includes the Bonin nankeen night heron (Nycticorax caledonicus crassirostris). This subspecies was endemic to Bonin Islands, Japan, but has been extinct since the late 1800s. The nankeen night heron is resident in a wide range of habitats, which includes grasslands, meadows, forests, lagoons, beaches, reefs, marshes, shores, wetlands, and swamps. It is most commonly found near rivers and streams. The species prefer habitats with emergent vegetation when near permanent water. The nankeen night heron is mainly nocturnal, and thus roosts during the daytime in dense cover of trees, bushes, and reeds. In more exposed situations, they are also known to roost in dead trees. In urban areas, the nankeen night heron favours nesting and roosting in trees such as cypresses and pines. They also reside in urban wetlands, dry fields, gardens, ponds, airports, and parks.
Species Status
The nankeen night heron has not been evaluated as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List as it does not meet any of the criteria. The species is assessed as stable, as it has a fluctuating but not declining population trend, a very large population size, and an extremely large range, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 31,600,000 km. The IUCN Red List states that for these reasons, the nankeen night heron is evaluated as a species of least concern.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Pelicans and Relatives Family
Herons Genus
Nycticorax Night-herons Species
Nankeen Night Heron 
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