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Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus
-16.9033, 145.751
Field Notes
Description:
The Nankeen Night Heron is a stocky heron with rich cinnamon upperparts, white-buff underparts, a black crown, and yellow legs and feet. The head is large, the neck short (giving a stooped appearance), and the legs relatively short. During breeding the back of the head bears three white nuptial plumes. The bill is dark olive-green, and the eyes are yellow. Young birds are heavily spotted and streaked white, brown and orange-brown. As they mature, the black cap of the adult develops first, with the body plumage remaining streaked for some time.
Habitat:
Mangroves
Notes:
Feeding:
Nankeen Night Herons feed at night in shallow water on a wide variety of insects, crustaceans, fish and amphibians.
Breeding:
The Nankeen Night Heron breeds throughout the year, depending on food availability. Breeding takes place in colonies, often together with egrets and cormorants. The nest is a loose stick platform over water. Both sexes incubate the eggs.
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