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- Calherodius leuconotus
Gorsachius leuconotus
Identification
Black head, short thick crest, large white patch and yellow skinned eye ring, black bill, yellow lower base, yellow iris, green-yellow lores, white chin, rufous brown neck, black-brown back, brown upper wings, slate flight feathers, black brown tail, buff underparts, white-brown belly, green to orange legs and feet.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa. Patchy distribution from Senegal to Sudan and south to eastern South Africa but exact range is unknown. The range extends east through the equatorial belt and south into Mozambique and South Africa.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized[1].
- C. l. leuconotus - Senegal east to Nigeria
- C. l. natalensis - Cameroon south to northwestern Angola and east to eastern Sudan, western Ethiopia, and northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, south through eastern Africa to southeastern Angola, northern Botswana, and eastern South Africa
Habitat
These birds favour densely vegetated freshwater lagoons, slow rivers and (especially in The Gambia) tall Rhizophora mangroves.
Behaviour
The birds become active at dusk being ambush predators which stab at passing fish from perches just above the water. This species roosts singly or in small groups inside creeper-clad vegetation or dense mangroves where they sit motionless unless closely approached. If disturbed they tend to climb higher into the canopy before flying off.
The diet includes small fish, amphibians, molluscs, crustaceans, flying ants, flies and other insects.
The nest is a stick platform, usually well hidden and built low over water in trees or bushes. 3-8 eggs are laid.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) White-backed Night Heron. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/White-backed_Night_Heron
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
