Malayan Night Heron

Gorsachius melanolophus (Raffles, 1822)

Malayan Night Heron, Gorsachius melanolophus, is found in the Oriental Region, breeding from the Western Ghats in south-west India and north-east India through south-east Asia and south-east China to the Philippines and Peleng in the Banggai Islands east of Sulawesi. Outside the breeding season it reaches Sri Lanka and the Greater Sundas. It is a heron in the family Ardeidae. It is a solitary bird that roosts in trees and feeds in open ground, and it nests singly rather than with other waterbirds. Its territorial voice is a deep oo note, and it also gives hoarse croaks and arh, arh, arh.

Order

Pelecaniformes

Family

Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns

Breeding range

Oriental Region: W Ghats (sw India), ne India through se Asia and se China to Philippines, Peleng (Banggai Is., e of Sulawesi)

Nonbreeding range

to Sri Lanka, Greater Sundas