Nankeen night heron

Nankeen night heron
Nankeen night heron, Sydney, New South Wales
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Nycticorax
Species:
N. caledonicus
Binomial name
Nycticorax caledonicus
(Gmelin, 1789)
Subspecies
  • N. c. caledonicus (Gmelin, 1789)
    New Caledonian nankeen night heron
  • N. c. manillensis Vigors, 1831
    Celebes Sea nankeen night heron
  • N. c. crassirostris Vigors, 1839
    Bonin nankeen night heron (extinct)
  • N. c. mandibularis Ogilvie-Grant, 1888
    Solomon nankeen night heron
  • N. c. hilli Mathews, 1912
    Common nankeen night heron
  • N. c. pelewensis Mathews, 1926
    Micronesian nankeen night heron
Synonyms
  • Ardea caledonica
    Gmelin, 1789

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 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).[2]

  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Nycticorax caledonicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22697219A93602821. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697219A93602821.en. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  2. ^ BirdLife International (2017). Species factsheet: Rufous Night Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus).