Nankeen Night-Heron
Nankeen Night-HeronNankeen Night-HeronNankeen Night-HeronNankeen Night-Heron

Nankeen Night-Heron

Nycticorax caledonicus

Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
53 Verified sightings at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary From 2019 to 2026
1,595 Verified sightings across all 25 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary

Black-crowned Night Heron
LC

Black-crowned Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax nycticorax

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Great Egret
LC

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Purple Heron
LC

Purple Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea purpurea

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Striated Heron
LC

Striated Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Butorides striata

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
intermediate egret

intermediate egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta intermedia

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ardea modesta

Ardea modesta

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea modesta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Grey Heron
LC

Grey Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea cinerea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Great-billed Heron
LC

Great-billed Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea sumatrana

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Chinese Egret
VU

Chinese Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta eulophotes

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Malayan Night Heron
LC

Malayan Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gorsachius melanolophus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Javan Pond Heron
LC

Javan Pond Heron

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Ardeola speciosa

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
2 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
3 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
4 Tangkoko Nature Reserve 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
5 Cape Range 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
6 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
7 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
9 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
10 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
11 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
12 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
13 Raja Ampat 🇮🇩 Indonesia
<5%
14 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
15 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
16 Sepilok 🇲🇾 Malaysia
Insufficient data
17 Komodo National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
18 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
19 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
20 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
21 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
22 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
23 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
24 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
25 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Nankeen Night-Heron in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Nankeen Night-Heron sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 53 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Nankeen Night-Heron in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?

February has the highest sighting rate for Nankeen Night-Heron in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.

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