Nycticorax caledonicus
The Nankeen Night Heron, *Nycticorax caledonicus*, is a medium-sized heron renowned for its striking, rich cinnamon-rufous plumage, which gives it its common 'Nankeen' name. Adults typically measure 55-65 cm in length with a wingspan of 95-110 cm and weigh between 600-800 grams. Distinctive field marks include a dark grey to black cap, a white throat, a dark grey back, and pale grey underparts, complemented by bright yellow eyes and greenish-yellow legs. During breeding season, adults develop...
Found in a wide range of wetland environments including swamps, mangroves, estuaries, rivers, lakes, and even urban parklands, typically at low elevations from coastal areas to inland freshwater systems.
Feeds primarily on fish, frogs, and crustaceans, but also consumes aquatic insects, small reptiles, and occasionally small mammals or birds. It forages by standing motionless in shallow water or on shorelines, patiently waiting to spear unsuspecting prey.
Primarily a nocturnal or crepuscular predator, the Nankeen Night Heron spends its days roosting communally, often in dense trees or thick vegetation, adopting a hunched posture. Its foraging strategy is typically a patient sit-and-wait approach, ambushing fish, frogs, and crustaceans in shallow w...
The Nankeen Night Heron is widely distributed across much of Australasia and parts of Southeast Asia, primarily inhabiting coastal and subcoastal regions. Its breeding range encompasses most of Australia (excluding the extremely arid interior), New Guinea, the Philippines, Indonesia, the Solomon ...
Least Concern
- Its common name 'Nankeen' refers to the dull yellowish-brown Nankeen fabric, perfectly describing its characteristic body plumage. - Juvenile Nankeen Night Herons look so different from adults that they were once classified as a separate species, often referred to as the 'Chocolate-bellied Hero...