Species guide
Malayan Night Heron: how to recognise it
A bird of Asia. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
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- Scientific name
- Gorsachius melanolophus
- Family
- Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns
- Size
- About 46–49 cm
- Habitat
- Forests, dense wet woods and gardens
- Found in
- Asia
The key marks
A chestnut-brown heron with a black crest, and dark barring on the neck. It hunches in forest leaf litter.
Voice
A low, booming “oo”, mostly at night.
Good to know
A secretive heron that walks slowly across the forest floor rather than standing in water.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in forests, dense wet woods and gardens. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.