White-backed night heron

The German naturalist Johann Wagler described the white-backed night heron as Ardea leuconotus in 1827.[2][3] Today the IOC World Bird List places it in the genus Gorsachius,[4] while BirdLife International and the Handbook of the Birds of the World place it in Calherodius.[5][6] Its name derives from a patch of white feathers that form a triangle on its back.[7]

The white-backed night heron is 50–55 cm (20–22 in) in length with a black head and a short crest, or prominent feather display on the top of its head.[8] The heron has large red eyes with white-ringed markings around them, and the lores, or the region behind the eye, are a pale yellow hue.[8][9] The throat feathers are white, whereas the neck and breast are rufous, or a reddish-brown hue.[8] There is a notable white triangular patch along the back formed by the white scapulars, or small feathers, on the shoulder of the bird.[8] The belly feathers are a whitish-brown and the legs are yellow.[3][10] An immature heron can be identified by its streaked breast and the white spots on the upper-wing coverts.[7] Chicks are covered with olive-brown down.[3]

The white-backed night heron is located throughout central and southern Africa, with a range estimated at 20,900,000 km² (8,100,000 sq mi).[1] Its primary habitat is dense forests with neighboring waterways, particularly streams, lakes, mangroves and marshes.[5]

The white-backed night heron can be found living individually or in pairs.[9] Nocturnal by nature, they roost in the dense vegetation of marshes and forests during the daylight hours, often nesting high within the trees.[5] Their nests are well-hidden, usually built in vegetation near water and sometimes in reedbeds, mangroves, rocks and caves.[5] The nest is built resembling a platform of sticks or reeds, 25–30 cm (9.8–11.8 in) wide.[3] They usually breed during the rainy season or early in the dry season.[5] There are two to three greenish-white eggs in a clutch, and incubation lasts roughly 24 to 26 days. The chicks leave the nest after six to seven weeks.[3] The white-backed night heron seems to be sedentary, but it has been observed in some circumstances to have migrated to locations with heavy rain.[11] White-backed night herons are known foragers, meaning they search for food primarily along waterways. They have been observed to eat fish, amphibians, mollusks and insects.[3] Though usually quiet, they let out a loud kroak call when alarmed and a taash call when disturbed.[3]

The population of the white-backed night heron is believed to be stable because it does not appear to undergo significant population declines or experience any notable threats.[5] Due to these factors and its large range, the IUCN Red List has assessed the species to be of least concern.[1] The species is currently experiencing a small number of threats, including habitat loss in southern Africa and hunting in Nigeria, where they are used for traditional medicine.[5]