28-11-2016 JURONG, SINGAPORE - NANKEEN NIGHT HERON (Nycticorax caledonicus) COURTESY OF VALERIE FISHER

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 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).

The term nankeen in the common name of the species is defined as ‘a type of pale-yellow cotton cloth, originally from China’ in the Cambridge Dictionary. The term originates from the city of Nanjing, which is where the material was first made. In the alternative name of the species, rufous night heron, the word rufous refers to a reddish-brown colour and more accurately describes the colour of the bird's plumage. This name is widely used in regions such as New Guinea and Wallacea.

The name of the species’ genus, Nycticorax, means ‘night raven’, and is derived from the Ancient Greek words nuktos, meaning night, and korax, meaning raven. The term comes from the primarily nocturnal feeding behaviour of the birds in the genus, as well as from their crow-like croaking call, such as that of the nankeen night heron.