Japanese night heron

Gorsachius goisagi

Description:

Listed as vulnerable species. The Japanese night heron (Gorsachius goisagi) is a species of night heron found in East Asia. It breeds in Japan, and winters in the Philippines and Indonesia. It is also seen in the spring and summer in Korea and the Russian Far East. The Japanese night heron prefers dense, damp forest, in both its breeding and winter ranges. Common until the 1970s, this species is threatened by deforestation in its summer and winter ranges for timber and farmland. Other documented threats include the introduction of the Siberian weasel (Mustela sibirica) in its breeding range and nest predation by crows, due to the increasing crow populations. The current population is estimated at less than 1,000 mature individuals. Accordingly, the Japanese night heron is marked as a protected species in Japan and Hong Kong. Future actions proposed to conserve this species include surveying its breeding habits throughout Japan and the Philippines, protecting its habitat, creating more public interest and awareness in the bird, and stopping invasive species from competing with it. The Japanese night heron's wingspan ranges between 43 and 47 centimeters, and the colors of the plumage vary between adult and juvenile herons. In adult herons, the head and neck feathers are russet in color and the wings' feathers are dark-brown in color. In juvenile herons, the feathers on the head are more black in color than russet, while the feathers on the wings are lighter in color than those of the adult. Both juvenile and adult herons share a wide beak and yellow skin on the outer layer of their eyes. A unique feature of the Japanese night heron is the dense, black lines that irregularly go down the covert feathers of its wings.