White-backed night heron

White-backed night heron
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Gorsachius
Species: G. leuconotus
Binomial name
Gorsachius leuconotus
(Wagler, 1827)
Synonyms

Nycticorax leuconotus
Calherodius leuconotus

The white-backed night heron (Gorsachius leuconotus) is a species of heron in the family Ardeidae. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa.

Taxonomy

The white-backed night heron was described as Ardea leuconotus by Wagler in 1827.[2] The IOC World Bird List currently places it in the genus Gorsachius,[3] while BirdLife International and the Handbook of the Birds of the World place it in Calherodius.[4][5] Its name derives from a white triangle on its back.[6]

Distribution and habitat

This night heron is found in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, with a distribution size estimated at 7,860,000 km2 (3,030,000 sq mi).[4] The white-backed night heron's habitat is primarily dense forests. It is found in streams, mangroves, marshes, and islands in streams and lakes.[4]

Description

Its length is 50–55 cm (20–22 in).[7] The head is black. The eyes are large and red, with white eye rings around them. The lores are pale yellow.[8] The throat is white. There is a short crest.[7] The upperparts are blackish-brown. The neck and breast are rufous.[7] On the back, there is a white triangular patch formed by the white scapulars.[7] The belly is whitish-brown.[2] The legs are yellow.[9] The immature heron's breast is streaked, and its upperwing coverts have white spots.[6] Chicks have olive-brown down.[2]

Behaviour and ecology

The white-backed night heron is found in singles and pairs.[8] It is nocturnal. During the day, it roosts in vegetation in marshes and forests.[4] It forages along edges of water. It has been observed to eat fish, amphibians, mollusks and insects.[2] It is usually quiet. Its alarm call is kroak, and it gives the call taash when disturbed.[2] It usually breeds in the rainy season or early in the dry season.[4] Its nest is well-hidden, usually built in trees and bushes near water and also sometimes in reedbeds, mangroves, rocks, and caves.[4] Its nest is a platform of sticks or reeds, 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) wide.[2] There are two to three greenish-white eggs in a clutch, and incubation lasts roughly 24 to 26 days. The chicks leave the nest after six to seven weeks.[2] It seems to be sedentary, but may migrate to locations that have heavy rain.[10]

Status

The population trend of the white-backed night heron is probably stable because it does not seem to have population declines or significant threats.[4] Because of this and its large range, the IUCN Red List has assessed the species to be of least concern.[1] There is habitat loss in southern Africa. In Nigeria, white-backed night herons are hunted and used for traditional medicine.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2012). "Calherodius leuconotus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "White-backed Night Heron Nycticorax leuconotus (Wagler)". HeronConservation. IUCN-SSC Heron Specialist Group. 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Gill, F.; Donsker, D. (eds.). "Storks, ibis & herons". IOC World Bird List Version 6.4. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Species factsheet: Calherodius leuconotus". birdlife.org. BirdLife International. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Martínez-Vilalta, A.; Motis, A.; Kirwan, G. M. (2016). "White-backed Night-heron (Calherodius leuconotus)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D. A.; de Juana, E. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions.
  6. 1 2 Hancock, Peter; Weiersbye, Ingrid (2015). Birds of Botswana. Princeton University Press. p. 62. ISBN 9781400874170.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Borrow, Nik; Demey, Ron (2013). Birds of Senegal and The Gambia. Bloomsbury. p. 42. ISBN 9781408171011.
  8. 1 2 Redman, Nigel; Stevenson, Terry; Fanshawe, John (2010). Birds of the Horn of Africa. Bloomsbury. p. 50. ISBN 9781408135761.
  9. ↑ Newman, Kenneth (2002). Newman's Birds of Southern Africa. Struik. p. 90. ISBN 9781868727353.
  10. ↑ The Atlas of Southern African Birds (PDF). p. 67.
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