Nycticorax is a genus of night herons. The name Nycticorax means "night raven" and derives from the Ancient Greek νύκτος, nuktos "night" and κοραξ, korax, "raven". It refers to the largely nocturnal feeding habits of this group of birds, and the croaking crow-like call of the best known species, the black-crowned night heron.[2]
These are medium-sized herons which often are migratory in the colder parts of their ranges.
Adults are short-necked, relatively short-legged and stout herons; the two extant species both have a black crown and a whitish belly, while the wings, chest, neck and auriculars are grey or rufous depending on the species. Young birds are brown, flecked with white and grey, and are quite similar to each other in the extant species. At least some of the extinct Mascarenes taxa appear to have retained this juvenile plumage in adult birds.
Night herons nest in colonies on platforms of sticks in a group of trees, or on the ground in protected locations such as islands or reed beds. Three to eight eggs are laid.
They stand at the water's edge, and wait to ambush prey, mainly at night. They primarily eat small fish, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, and small mammals. During the day they rest in trees or bushes.
^"Ardeidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
^Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 277. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
Nycticorax is a genus of night herons. The name Nycticorax means "night raven" and derives from the Ancient Greek νύκτος, nuktos "night" and κοραξ, korax...
medium-sized herons, 58–65 cm, in the genera Nycticorax, Nyctanassa, and Gorsachius. The genus name Nycticorax derives from the Greek for "night raven" and...
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...
The Ascension night heron (Nycticorax olsoni) is an extinct night heron species from the genus Nycticorax endemic to the South Atlantic island of Ascension...
The Rodrigues night heron (Nycticorax megacephalus) is an extinct species of heron that was endemic to the Mascarene island of Rodrigues in the Indian...
Island brown kiwi, Apteryx mantelli Black-crowned night heron, Nycticoraxnycticorax Short-eared owl, Asio flammeus Long-eared owl, Asio otus Great horned...
extinct heron species from Bermuda. It is sometimes assigned to the genus Nycticorax. It was first described by Storrs L. Olson & David B. Wingate (2006) from...
The Mauritius night heron (Nycticorax mauritianus) is an extinct night heron species from Mauritius. It is only known by seven subfossil bone remains consisted...
The Niue night heron (Nycticorax kalavikai) is an extinct night heron species that was endemic to the island of Niue in West Polynesia. The night heron...
The Bonin nankeen night heron (Nycticorax caledonicus crassirostris) is an extinct subspecies of the nankeen night heron. The Bonin nankeen night heron...
Image Genus Living species Nycticorax T. Forster, 1817 – typical night herons Black-crowned night heron, Nycticoraxnycticorax Nankeen night heron or rufous...
Genus Zeltornis (fossil, Early Miocene of Djebel Zelten, Libya) Genus Nycticorax – typical night herons (two living species, four recently extinct; sometimes...
carcinocatactes) Réunion night heron (Nycticorax duboisi) Mauritius night heron (Nycticorax mauritianus) Rodrigues night heron (Nycticorax megacephalus) Family Threskiornithidae...
exclusively) warmer coastal regions. They were formerly included in the genus Nycticorax, but today all major authorities recognize them as different. The name...
great blue herons (Ardea herodias) and black-crowned night herons (Nycticoraxnycticorax), the European herring gull (Larus argentatus), the wels catfish...
(Corvus ssp.) nests. Even Canada goose, black-crowned night heron (Nycticoraxnycticorax) and great blue heron nests have been used, the latter sometimes...
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