Malayan Night Heron

Malayan Night Heron

Gorsachius melanolophus

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
at Khao Luang National Park
3 Verified sightings at Khao Luang National Park From 2019 to 2026
241 Verified sightings across all 16 parks From 2019 to 2026
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Malayan Night Heron

The Malayan night heron (Gorsachius melanolophus), also known as Malaysian night heron and tiger bittern, is a medium-sized heron. It is distributed in southern and eastern Asia. 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 Palau and Korea. Its range size is estimated at 1,240,000 km2. One roadkilled bird was discovered on Christmas Island, Australia where it is likely a vagrant. This bird occurs in forests, streams, and marshes. In Japan, population densities of the herons increased as undisturbed forest cover on islands increased.

The Malayan night heron is about 48 cm (19 in) long. The wingspan is about 86 cm (34 in). 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. The upperparts are chestnut and vermiculated. The flight feathers are blackish. The crown is black, the chin is white, and the eyes are yellow. The beak is black and the legs are greenish. The juvenile is greyish... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
2 Way Kambas National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
3 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
4 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
<5%
5 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
<5%
6 Periyar National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
7 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
<5%
8 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
9 Wilpattu National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
10 Khao Luang National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
11 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Insufficient data
12 Khao Sok National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
13 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
Insufficient data
14 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
15 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
16 Sinharaja Forest Reserve 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
Insufficient data
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