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Australian Wildlife

  Nankeen Night-heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)





Nankeen Night-heron | Nycticorax caledonicus photo
Rufous Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)

Image by Stephen Barnett - Some rights reserved.    (view image details)







NANKEEN NIGHT-HERON FACTS

Description
The Nankeen Night-heron is a compact heron with large head and stooped posture. The crown and back of neck is black. The back is rufous red and underside is creamy white with buff tinge. During breeding the head has two or three long slender plumes. It has yellow legs and feet. Immatures are pale grey-brown streaked with white on head and chest.

Other Names
Rufous Night-heron

Size
56-63cm

Habitat
margins of rivers, swamps, dams, mangrove estuaries

Food
insects, crustaceans, fish and amphibians.

Breeding
Breeds in colonies, often with egrets and cormorants. The nest is a loose stick platform over water. Lays up to 5 eggs - usually 2 or 3.

Range
throughout Australia, wherever there is permanent water. Uncommon in Tasmania.

distribution map showing range of Nycticorax caledonicus in Australia

Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.



Classification
Class:Aves
Order:Ciconiiformes
Family:Ardeidae
Genus:Nycticorax
Species:caledonicus
Common Name:Nankeen Night-heron

Relatives in same Genus
  Black-crowned Night Heron (N. nycticorax)