Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies)
- FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
- GenusNycticorax (Typical Night Herons)
- SpeciesNycticorax caledonicus (Nankeen Night-Heron)
About the Nankeen Night-Heron
The nankeen night heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) 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 (22 to 26 in) 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).
The nankeen night heron was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with herons, cranes and storks in the genus Ardea and coined the binomial name Ardea caledonica. Gmelin based his description on the "Caledonian night heron" that had been described in 1875 by the English ornithologist John Latham in his multi-volume work A General Synopsis of Birds. The heron had been observed in September 1774 on the island of New Caledonia... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Nankeen Night-Heron in Kakadu National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kakadu National Park
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Pied Heron
Egretta picata
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
White-necked Heron
Ardea pacifica
Ardea modesta
Ardea modesta
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
White-faced Heron
Egretta novaehollandiae
Great-billed Heron
Ardea sumatrana
Pacific Reef Heron
Egretta sacra
Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis
Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Nankeen Night-Heron in Kakadu National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Nankeen Night-Heron sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 718 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Nankeen Night-Heron in Kakadu National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Nankeen Night-Heron in Kakadu National Park in our monthly data.