Malayan night heron
Malayan night heron | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Pelecaniformes |
Family: | Ardeidae |
Genus: | Gorsachius |
Species: | G. melanolophus
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Binomial name | |
Gorsachius melanolophus (Raffles, 1822)
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Range of G. melanolophus Breeding range Resident range Wintering range
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The Malayan night heron (Gorsachius melanolophus), also known as Malaysian night heron and tiger bittern,[2] is a medium-sized heron. It is distributed in southern and eastern Asia.
Distribution and habitat[]
The Malayan night heron has been found in India, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. It is a vagrant in Christmas Island and Palau.[1] Its range size is estimated at 1,240,000 km2.[1] This bird occurs in forests, streams, and marshes.[3]
Description[]
The Malayan night heron is about 48 cm (19 in) long.[4] The wingspan is about 86 cm (34 in).[5] It is stocky, with a short beak. Its neck and breast are rufous. There are streaks going down the centre of the neck to the breast.[4] The upperparts are chestnut and vermiculated. The flight feathers are blackish.[4] The crown is black, the chin is white, and the eyes are yellow.[6] The beak is black and the legs are greenish.[5] The juvenile is greyish to rufous and is spotted and vermiculated.[3]
Biology[]
The Malayan night heron is usually solitary. It roosts in trees and feeds in open areas.[4] Its territorial call is deep oo notes.[4] It also produces hoarse croaks and arh, arh, arh.[6] The most common food items are earthworms and frogs, and it will sometimes eat fish.[7] A study of its pellets found reptiles, snails, chilopods, arachnids, crabs and insects.[8]
Conservation[]
The bird has a large range and its global population is between 2,000 and 20,000 individuals. Its population trend is not known, but it does not meet the criteria for a vulnerable species status.[1]
References[]
- ^ a b c d BirdLife International (2016). "Gorsachius melanolophus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22697242A93604480. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697242A93604480.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ "Malayan Night-Heron". Birding in Taiwan. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
- ^ a b Grimmett, Richard; Inskipp, Carol; Inskipp, Tim (2013). Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Bloomsbury. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-4081-6264-4.
- ^ a b c d e Jeyarajasingam, Allen; Pearson, Alan (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-1996-3942-7.
- ^ a b Kennedy, Robert (2000). A Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. Oxford University Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-1985-4668-9.
- ^ a b MacKinnon, John; Phillipps, Karen (2000). A Field Guide to the Birds of China. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-1985-4940-6.
- ^ Chang, C. (2000). Malayan Night Heron Gorsachius melanolophus breeding in immature plumage. Forktail 16 167-8. Downloaded on 26 August 2010.
- ^ Kawakami, Kazuto; Fujita, Masaki; Hasegawa, Motohiro; Makahira, Hiroshi (2011). "Dietary characteristics of the Malayan Night Heron (Gorsachius melanolophus) in the Yaeyama Islands, southern Japan". Chinese Birds. 2 (2): 87–93. doi:10.5122/cbirds.2011.0015.
External links[]
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Gorsachius
- Birds of Northeast India
- Birds of South India
- Birds of Southeast Asia
- Birds described in 1822
- Birds of Nepal