Rufous Night-heron Nycticorax caledonicus
(aka Nankeen Night Heron)
Rufous Night Heron, Kakadu, Northern Territory, Australia, October 2013 - click for larger image Kakadu, Northern Territory, Australia
October 2013

The Rufous Night-heron is distributed in the Philippines, Indonesia and adjacent islands and in Australia except in the dry interior and Nullarbor Coast. It is found round the edges of inland or coastal waters normally with forested or wooded margins.

Rufous Night Heron, Kakadu, Northern Territory, Australia, October 2013 - click for larger image It is mainly active from dusk to dawn but they can be seen in the shadows during the day.

It has a black cap, cinnamon upperparts and whitish underparts with a buffy tinge. When breeding it has two or three white head plumes which you can see in photos 3 and 4.

The sub-species found in Australia, N. c. australasiae, is noticeably more cinnamon than the much duller nominate sub-species found in New Caledonia.

Rufous Night Heron, Kakadu, Northern Territory, Australia, October 2013 - click for larger image Photo 3 was taken during the heat of the day and this bird was half submerged presumably in an attempt to keep cool.
Rufous Night Heron, Kakadu, Northern Territory, Australia, October 2013 - click for larger image
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