BirdUp · Species
Nankeen Night Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus(Gmelin, JF, 1789)
Updated
Also known asGidgaree
- Order
- PELECANIFORMES
- Family
- Ardeidae
- Genus
- Nycticorax
At a glance
The Nankeen Night Heron is a very large bird, about 55–65 cm long, listed as Least Concern. It can be seen year-round.
- Size
- 55–65 cm
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
- Origin
- Not Endemic
- Best seen
- Year-round
- Commonness
- Endemic
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
What does a Nankeen Night Heron look like?
The Nankeen Night Heron is a very large bird, about 55–65 cm long and weighing 550–900 g.
The nankeen night heron is a heron that belongs to the genus Nycticorax and the family Ardeidae. Due to its distinctive reddish-brown colour, it is also commonly referred to as the rufous night heron. It is primarily nocturnal and is observed in a broad range of habitats, including forests, meadows, shores, reefs, marshes, grasslands, and swamps. The species is 55 to 65 cm in length, with rich cinnamon upperparts and white underparts. The nankeen night heron has a stable population size, and is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
03 · When
When to look
When can you see a Nankeen Night Heron?
The Nankeen Night Heron is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
What does a Nankeen Night Heron eat?
The Nankeen Night Heron feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, terrestrial vertebrates, carrion, intertidal invertebrates and fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks or alone.
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
3 photos
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