Animalia Life

Nycticorax magnificus
SUBFAMILY
Ardeinae
TAXONOMY
Nycticorax magnifica Ogilvie-Grant, 1899, Hainan. Monotypic.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Magnificent night heron; French: Bihoreau superbe; German: Hainanreiher; Spanish: Martinete Magnifico.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
A medium-brown heron with a brown streaked breast and a white patch on the side of the head. Length is about 21 in (54 cm). Juvenal plumage has brown-black feathering spotted with buff or white.
DISTRIBUTION
Occurs in Southeast Asia.
HABITAT
Occurs in dense, primary forests with streams and adjacent marshes. It currently is found only in mid-altitude mountains, but was likely originally also a lowland species.
BEHAVIOR
A poorly known species, with few having been observed in the wild. Feeds at night and roosts high in trees during the day. Has been reported as feeding singly or in isolated pairs.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Diet includes fish, shrimp, and insects.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Nearly nothing is known about the breeding biology of this species. Nests in tall trees and perhaps bamboo. May nest in mixed colonies.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Endangered. Only two breeding sites are known, a third was submerged by a reservoir. The principal threat to the species is
HABITAT
loss caused by deforestation, reforestation with pine monoculture, reservoir construction, and gold mining. Hunting is also a threat, even in nature reserves. The species is nationally protected in China, but the ability of local people to save the birds may be limited unless education and local conservation initiatives are undertaken.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
This species is severely threatened due to human habitat alteration and hunting. Local people eat herons, and young herons of several species are captured for the market. Balancing the needs of the local population for food with conservation of this species is a huge challenge.

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