Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
- FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
- GenusNycticorax (Typical Night Herons)
- SpeciesNycticorax caledonicus (Nankeen Night-Heron)
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 (22 to 26 in) 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). Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Nankeen Night-Heron sighting in Litchfield National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Litchfield National Park
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
Pied Heron
Egretta picata
Great Egret
Ardea alba
White-necked Heron
Ardea pacifica
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
White-faced Heron
Egretta novaehollandiae
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis
Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca
Royal Spoonbill
Platalea regia
Glossy Ibis
Plegadis falcinellus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Kosciuszko National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Nitmiluk National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 9 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 12 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Lorentz National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 15 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 17 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 19 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 20 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 21 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Nankeen Night-Heron in Litchfield National Park?
About 2% of wildlife watchers report a Nankeen Night-Heron sighting in Litchfield National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Nankeen Night-Heron in Litchfield National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Nankeen Night-Heron in Litchfield National Park in our monthly data.