The white-eared night heron (Gorsachius magnificus ) is a species of heron in the family Ardeidae. It is found in southern China and northern Vietnam. IN 2018, it has been also reported from Valmiki National Park, India. It is threatened by habitat loss and habitat fragmentation.
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Altricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
A territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Soaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withThe length is 54–56 cm (21–22 in). The male is mostly blackish-brown. The neck-sides are chestnut. The lores are yellow, and the beak is black. The eyes are yellow-orange. The head and nape are blackish. The postocular stripes and throat are white. The underparts are brown, with white streaks. The tarsi are green. The female is similar to the male, but its head and neck are less distinctly patterned. The female also has whitish streaks on its back and wings. The juvenile is similar to the female, but has a browner plumage and buff spots.
This heron is found in southern China and northern Vietnam. Its range size is estimated at 2,180,000 km2 (840,000 sq mi). By 2001, the species had only been recorded from about 20 localities; in the ten years from 2001 to 2011, surveys discovered it in more than 30 localities, making its known range much larger. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical forests and rivers. It has also been found in human-modified habitats.
Like other night herons, this species is mostly nocturnal. It feeds on fish, shrimps and invertebrates. Its territorial call is a deep, raspy whoaa, lasting about 0.3 seconds and repeated every 5–15 seconds. Breeding has been recorded in both Vietnam and China. The clutch size is 3–5 eggs. In China, hatching has been observed in May, with an incubation period of about 25 days. In Vietnam, fledging has been observed in late April. Breeding seems to occur earlier in Vietnam than in China. The nest is in the shape of a circular tray. A study found that fledging occurred more than two months after hatching, longer than most other species of heron.
The IUCN Red List has listed the white-eared night heron as an endangered species because its population is small, fragmented and declining. In the 1990s, the species was considered very rare and listed as a critically endangered species. It was downlisted to an endangered species in 2000. Its population is estimated at 250–999 mature individuals and 350–1500 total individuals. It is threatened by deforestation, hunting, overfishing and water pollution. It has been discovered in many new localities, but the population is probably declining because of the threats. The species is listed as a Class II protected species in China. It occurs in protected areas in China and Vietnam, such as the Chebaling National Nature Reserve and Ba Be National Park.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...