Nankeen Night-Heron
Nankeen Night-HeronNankeen Night-HeronNankeen Night-HeronNankeen Night-Heron

Nankeen Night-Heron

Nycticorax caledonicus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Kakadu National Park
485 Verified records at Kakadu National Park
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 colour, it is also commonly referred to as the rufous night heron. It is primarily nocturnal and is observed in a broad range of habitats, including forests, meadows, shores, reefs, marshes, grasslands, and swamps. The species is 55 to 65 cm (22 to 26 in) in length, with rich cinnamon upperparts and white underparts. The nankeen night heron has a stable population size, and is classified as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Wikipedia →

30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Nankeen Night-Heron sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 485 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park

intermediate egret

intermediate egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta intermedia

50–60% · Likely
Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

50–60% · Likely
Pied Heron
LC

Pied Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta picata

40–50% · Likely
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

30–40% · Possible
White-necked Heron
LC

White-necked Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea pacifica

30–40% · Possible
Ardea modesta

Ardea modesta

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea modesta

10–20% · With luck
Striated Heron
LC

Striated Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Butorides striata

5–10% · With luck
White-faced Heron
LC

White-faced Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta novaehollandiae

5–10% · With luck
Great-billed Heron
LC

Great-billed Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea sumatrana

<5% · Rare
Pacific Reef Heron
LC

Pacific Reef Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta sacra

Insufficient data
Straw-necked Ibis
LC

Straw-necked Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Threskiornis spinicollis

40–50% · Likely
Australian White Ibis

Australian White Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Threskiornis molucca

40–50% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
30–40
Feb
10–20
Mar
20–30
Apr
40–50
May
30–40
Jun
30–40
Jul
30–40
Aug
30–40
Sep
40–50
Oct
30–40
Nov
20–30
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
2 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
3 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
10–20%
4 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
5 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
6 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
7 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
9 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
10 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
11 Danum Valley Conservation Area 🇲🇾 Malaysia
<5%
12 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
13 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
14 Lorentz National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
15 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
16 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
17 Springbrook National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
18 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
19 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
20 Bali Barat National Park 🇮🇩 Indonesia
Insufficient data
21 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Nankeen Night-Heron in Kakadu National Park?

About 36% of wildlife watchers report a Nankeen Night-Heron sighting in Kakadu National Park, based on 485 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Nankeen Night-Heron in Kakadu National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Nankeen Night-Heron in Kakadu National Park in our monthly data.

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