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5

Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron

(Nycticorax caledonicus)
Alternate name(s): "Night Heron"; misnomer: "Nankeen Crane"
Aboriginal name(s): Race "hilli": "dharrun" [yuwaalaraay], "yirrin" [yuwaalaraay];
"kuki kalwar" [tjapwurrung]; "ngalgan", "ngalganing" (WA); "oroo"

Size: 55-65 cm
Weight: 550-900 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "australasiae"

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Frontal view of an adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2014]

Frontal view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Ross-Taylor)
[Highland Park, Gold Coast, QLD, August 2014]

Close-up near-frontal view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of I. Duncan)
[Glen Iris wetlands, Melbourne, VIC, February 2013]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2022]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage, now seen preening
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2022]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Tumbling Waters, near Darwin, NT, September 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage looking sideways; note the very long nuchal plume
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Claremont, Perth, WA, November 2022]

Close-up lateral portrait of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, April 2022]

Lateral view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA, July 2022]

Lateral view of an adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of I. Duncan)
[Glen Iris wetlands, Melbourne, VIC, February 2013]

Lateral view of an adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage, now in bright sunlight
(photo courtesy of I. Duncan)
[Glen Iris wetlands, Melbourne, VIC, February 2013]

The same Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron as above, now with its bill partly open (photo courtesy of I. Duncan)
[Glen Iris wetlands, Melbourne, VIC, February 2013]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Knuckey Lagoon, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in breeding plumage hiding in dark underbrush
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA, December 2014]

Lateral view of an adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2012]

Near-dorsal view of an adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2012]

NON-BREEDING

Close-up frontal portrait of an adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, June 2017]

Close-up lateral view of an adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, June 2017]

Comparison of Rufous (Nankeen) Night Herons with an Australian Raven, showing the almost equal size
[50 km S of Mungindi, NSW, January 2023]

Adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in non-breeding plumage in flight displaying its upperwing pattern
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2013]

Adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in non-breeding plumage in flight displaying its underwing pattern
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2013]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral/ventral view of a sub-adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron moulting into adult plumage; note the "ear tufts"
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Herdsman Lake, Perth, WA, July 2022]

Close-up lateral view of an immature Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, July 2018]

Close-up near-dorsal view of an immature Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, July 2018]

Dorsal view of an immature Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Botanical Gardens, Darwin, NT, July 2018]

Frontal view of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron
[50 km S of Mungindi, NSW, January 2023]

Frontal view of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Broadwater, near Dalby, QLD, January 2018]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron looking sideways
[50 km S of Mungindi, NSW, January 2023]

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron looking at the observer
[Near Pilliga, NSW, February 2023]

Adult Rufous (Nankeen) Night Herons with a juvenile
[50 km S of Mungindi, NSW, January 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, February 2023]

Lateral view of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron high up in a tree...
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

Juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron having a good look at the nosy photographer
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

Close-up near-dorsal/ventral view of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, February 2023]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron in flight
[Near Moree, NSW, April 2012]

Upon landing this juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron displays its wing pattern
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, October 2011]

Close-up near-lateral comparison of a juvenile Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron with a male Australasian Darter
[Near Pilliga, NSW, February 2023]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a fledgling Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Near-fledging age Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron that does not have flight yet, waiting to be fed by its parents
[Macquarie Marshes NR, NSW, April 2011]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Sep - Jan Eggs: 2 - 4 Incubation period: 21 - 22 days Fledging age: 42 - 49 days

The breeding season of Rufous (Nankeen) Night Herons depends on geographical latitude. The period listed in the table above refers to the SE of Australia. In the tropical North the breeding season is usually late in the wet season, i.e. February-April.

Nest building: ? Incubation: Female & male Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket Material: Sticks Height above ground: <5(?) m

Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron usually nest on horizontal forks in standing in, or at least near, water in swamps, shallows of lakes or intertidal wetlands.

Two Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron chicks studying the observer (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Cullen Bay, Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Two Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron chicks studying the observer (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Cullen Bay, Darwin, NT, December 2017]

View from below of the stick nest of a pair of Rufous (Nankeen) Night Herons (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Cullen Bay, Darwin, NT, December 2017]

One of the owners of the Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron nest shown above (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Cullen Bay, Darwin, NT, December 2017]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 50 x 37 mm Colour: Pale blue-green Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive Elementary unit: Pair/family

Although predominantly nocturnal, Rufous (Nankeen) Night Herons have been observed by us regularly when active during the day (and not flushed by us). We have seen them hunting in the morning, near midday and early afternoon. In major wetlands they can be seen in their thousands in a small area.

During the day Rufous (Nankeen) Night Herons tend to hide in dense vegetation, e.g. in trees standing in swamps
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Lake Herdsman, Perth, WA, July 2022]

As their name already suggests, Rufous (Nankeen) Night Herons are primarily nocturnal predators (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Buffalo Creek, Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Part of a larger population of Rufous (Nankeen) Night Herons in a swamp at Yarrie Lake, 30 km west of Narrabri, NSW
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2012]

At Macquarie Marshes NR we observed a bird walking to and fro on a major, almost horizontal branch, checking for prey underneath from various vantage points (photo below).

Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron using an horizontal branch to check for prey from various vantage points
[Macquarie Marshes NR, NSW, April 2011]

Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron demanding to be fed by humans (photo courtesy of T. Rodoni)
[South Yunderup, WA, December 2013]

Food, Diet

The fact that this Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron is being pursued by a White-breasted Woodswallow during their breeding season indicates that Night Herons may take other birds' nestlings
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, November 2012]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

rufhern_20230227.mp3 australasiae
(NW NSW)
Contact calls(?) © MD
rufhern_20140820.m4a australasiae
(Darwin, NT)
Warning calls? ( Bar-shouldered Dove in bkgd) © MD
rufhern_20230227_3.mp3 australasiae
(NW NSW)
Arrival (juvenile) © MD
rufhern_20230227_2.mp3 australasiae
(NW NSW)
Upset? (juvenile) © MD
rufhern_20230227_4.mp3 australasiae
(NW NSW)
? (juvenile) © MD

More Rufous (Nankeen) Night Heron sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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