White-backed Night Heron Calherodius leuconotus Scientific name definitions
Revision Notes
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Species names in all available languages
Language | Common name |
---|---|
Afrikaans | Witrugnagreier |
Bulgarian | Белогърба нощна чапла |
Catalan | martinet de nit encaputxat |
Czech | kvakoš africký |
Dutch | Witrugkwak |
English | White-backed Night Heron |
English (United States) | White-backed Night Heron |
Finnish | silmälasihaikara |
French | Bihoreau à dos blanc |
French (France) | Bihoreau à dos blanc |
German | Weißrückenreiher |
Icelandic | Söðulhegri |
Japanese | セジロミゾゴイ |
Norwegian | brilledverghegre |
Polish | ślepowron białogrzbiety |
Portuguese (Angola) | Goraz-de-dorso-branco |
Portuguese (Portugal) | Garça-nocturna-de-dorso-branco |
Russian | Белоспинная кваква |
Serbian | Beloleđi gak |
Slovak | chavkoš bielochrbtý |
Spanish | Martinete Encapuchado |
Spanish (Spain) | Martinete encapuchado |
Swedish | vitryggig natthäger |
Turkish | Gözlüklü Gece Balıkçılı |
Ukrainian | Квак білобокий |
Revision Notes
Claire Walter prepared the account for the 2023 Clements taxonomy update.
Calherodius leuconotus (Wagler, 1827)
Definitions
- CALHERODIUS
- leuconotos / leuconotus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Field Identification
50–56 cm (1). Sexes alike. Black and relatively large head with short, densely-feathered crest and huge-looking eyes, rufous-brown neck , white chin; usually inconspicuous white patch (formed by white lanceolate plumes) on otherwise black back, with brown upperwings , becoming slate-colored on flight feathers and black-brown tail; pale buff to brown underparts, becoming whitish brown on belly. Legs greenish to yellow orange; iris from dark brown, red or chestnut to yellow or amber, with large yellow eyering ; leg color varies seasonally, as may iris colour. Juvenile browner, with extensive and heavy white mottling and streaking; forehead and crown uniformly dark. Compared to same-age Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), present species is smaller, larger-headed and has more spotted back and wings (the latter shorter than those of Nycticorax nycticorax).
Systematics History
Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.
Frequently placed in Gorsachius, but is apparently closer to Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies
Calherodius leuconotus leuconotus Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Calherodius leuconotus leuconotus (Wagler, 1827)
Definitions
- CALHERODIUS
- leuconotos / leuconotus
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Calherodius leuconotus natalensis Scientific name definitions
Distribution
Calherodius leuconotus natalensis (Roberts, 1933)
Definitions
- CALHERODIUS
- leuconotos / leuconotus
- natalensis
The Key to Scientific Names
Legend Overview
Distribution
Scattered populations in Africa south of Sahara, from Senegal to western Ethiopia/Eritrea and northwest, northeast & south Angola, and through Congo to Tanzania; south from Malawi and Zambia and northern Botswana to eastern South Africa.
Habitat
Forested zones with dense vegetation along streams , islands in large rivers, wooded margins of marshes and lakes and also in mangroves ; less frequently in reedbeds. Where local conditions suitable can occur in dry regions, e.g. wooded savannas of northern Cameroon (2). In northeastern Gabon also occupies human-modified areas, but generally tends to be very shy. Recorded to 1,100 m in Malawi (3) and 1,300 m in Zambia (4).
Movement
Very little known. Appears to perform seasonal movements related with onset of rains, but more evidence required, e.g. in south Burkina Faso, at Nazinga Game Ranch, species appears most numerous in late dry and early wet season (April–May), perhaps indicating pre-breeding northward movement, with few records during the height of the wet season (July–September) and almost none in October–February, perhaps reflecting real southbound migration to avoid the drought (5). Records from southern Mauritania, west Mali and southwestern Niger, among others, may reflect dispersal (6).
Diet and Foraging
Little known. Apparently feeds on small fish, amphibians, molluscs, crustaceans, flying ants, flies and other insects. Usually solitary or in pairs but occasionally in small groups of up to 12 birds at least seasonally (5), and strictly nocturnal, mostly feeding by Standing or Walking Slowly (1); during day roosts high in trees. In Burkina Faso, rarely found at feeding areas less than one hour after sunset and usually returns to day-roosts 15–30 minutes prior to dawn (5).
Sounds and Vocal Behavior
Considered to be generally quiet, but a growling “taash, taash, taash”, followed by short trill, “rr-rrurrr”, is sometimes heard at night, apparently when bird is disturbed, as well as a “kroak” in alarm or flight (6, 1).
Breeding
Season very variable; in equatorial zone, during rains or early in dry season, when floods highest, e.g. July–January and March–April in South Africa, January–April and September–October in Zambia (4), February–June in Malawi (3), August–June in Tanzania, May–June in Kenya, October in Congo and Ethiopia (7) and September–October in Nigeria (1). Solitary. Normally in trees, low (1–3 m) (1) over water or ground, but also uses bushes, rocks, caves (1) and reedbeds, once a pile of driftwood (4); nest of twigs and stalks lined with grass and leaves, 250–300 mm in diameter (1). Normally 2-3 greenish-white eggs (2-5), probably laid at 48-hour intervals, mean size 45.7 mm × 35.1 mm (1); incubation c. 23–26 days; chicks have olive-brown down; fledging c. 6-8 weeks. Sometimes lays second or replacement clutch.
Conservation Status
Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread; generally rare to uncommon, e.g. in Liberia, where known from single records at just five localities (8) and Ethiopia, where also known from very few records (7), although frequent in some areas of range, especially Congo Basin and upper Zambezi in Zambia (1). Only recently discovered in Burkina Faso, but population there might number c. 150 pairs, with more than one-third of these on Mouhoun River alone (5). Shy and rarely seen , due to nocturnal and solitary habits, so frequently overlooked; few data available, and real status difficult to assess. Known to breed in two protected areas in Malawi, Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary and Liwonde National Park (3). Other conservation units known to harbour the species include Benoué National Park (Cameroon) (2), Bui National Park (Ghana) (9), Comoé National Park (Ivory Coast) (10) and Nazinga Game Ranch (Burkina Faso) (5). Apparent range contraction in South Africa, perhaps due to cutting down of waterside trees and silting up of clear pools used for foraging, and species is now considered Critically Endangered there and in Namibia. Has perhaps also declined in Uganda, although concrete evidence for this is lacking (11).