White-backed Night Heron Calherodius leuconotus Scientific name definitions

50–56 cm (1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). 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).

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Frequently placed in Gorsachius, but is apparently closer to Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). Two subspecies recognized.

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.

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 Sørensen, U. G., J. Bech, and E. Krabbe (1996). New and unusual records of birds in Cameroon. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 116(3):145–155. Close ). In northeastern Gabon also occupies human-modified areas, but generally tends to be very shy. Recorded to 1,100 m in Malawi (3 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ) and 1,300 m in Zambia (4 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ).

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 Portier, B. (2005). White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus at Nazinga Game Ranch, Burkina Faso. Bull. Afr. Bird Club. 12(1): 18–23. Close ). Records from southern Mauritania, west Mali and southwestern Niger, among others, may reflect dispersal (6 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

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 Portier, B. (2005). White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus at Nazinga Game Ranch, Burkina Faso. Bull. Afr. Bird Club. 12(1): 18–23. Close ), and strictly nocturnal, mostly feeding by Standing or Walking Slowly (1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); 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 Portier, B. (2005). White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus at Nazinga Game Ranch, Burkina Faso. Bull. Afr. Bird Club. 12(1): 18–23. Close ).

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 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close , 1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ).

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 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), February–June in Malawi (3 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ), August–June in Tanzania, May–June in Kenya, October in Congo and Ethiopia (7 Ash, J. S., and J. Atkins (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) and September–October in Nigeria (1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Solitary. Normally in trees, low (1–3 m) (1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) over water or ground, but also uses bushes, rocks, caves (1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ) and reedbeds, once a pile of driftwood (4 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ); nest of twigs  and stalks lined with grass and leaves, 250–300 mm in diameter (1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). Normally 2-3 greenish-white eggs (2-5), probably laid at 48-hour intervals, mean size 45.7 mm × 35.1 mm (1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ); incubation c. 23–26 days; chicks have olive-brown down; fledging c. 6-8 weeks. Sometimes lays second or replacement clutch.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread; generally rare to uncommon, e.g. in Liberia, where known from single records at just five localities (8 Gatter, W. (1997). Birds of Liberia. Pica Press, Aula-Verlag and Yale University Press, Robertsbridge, UK; Wiesbaden, Germany; and New Haven, CT, USA. Close ) and Ethiopia, where also known from very few records (7 Ash, J. S., and J. Atkins (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), although frequent in some areas of range, especially Congo Basin and upper Zambezi in Zambia (1 Kushlan, J. A., and J. A. Hancock (2005). The Herons. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. Close ). 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 Portier, B. (2005). White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus at Nazinga Game Ranch, Burkina Faso. Bull. Afr. Bird Club. 12(1): 18–23. Close ). 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 Dowsett-Lemaire, F., and R. J. Dowsett (2006). The Birds of Malawi: An Atlas and Handbook. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). Other conservation units known to harbour the species include Benoué National Park (Cameroon) (2 Sørensen, U. G., J. Bech, and E. Krabbe (1996). New and unusual records of birds in Cameroon. Bulletin of the British Ornithologists’ Club 116(3):145–155. Close ), Bui National Park (Ghana) (9 Dowsett-Lemaire, F. and Dowsett, R.J. (2010). The avifauna of Bui National Park in western Ghana. Malimbus. 32(1): 1–21. Close ), Comoé National Park (Ivory Coast) (10 Salewski, V. and Korb, J. (1998). New bird records from Comoé National Park, Ivory Coast. Malimbus. 20(1): 54–55. Close ) and Nazinga Game Ranch (Burkina Faso) (5 Portier, B. (2005). White-backed Night Heron Gorsachius leuconotus at Nazinga Game Ranch, Burkina Faso. Bull. Afr. Bird Club. 12(1): 18–23. Close ). 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 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ).