Malaysian night heron

Brown body with black head.

Scientific name	Gorsachius melanolophus
English name	Malaysian night heron
Japanese name	Zuguromizogoi
Classification	Aves
Classification details	Pelecaniformes Ardeidae
Full length	About 50cm.
Distribution	Breeds in Southeast Asia. In Japan, it is found on Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island in Okinawa Prefecture.

Characteristics

A black night heron with dark blue feathers on its head.

The back is reddish brown and the belly is light brown. The iris is yellow to yellowish green with a whitish border around the eye. The bill is short with a leaden upper bill. The legs are yellowish brown.

The juvenile bird is brown all over with white spots.

Ecology

They are active in dark places such as forests. On cloudy or rainy days, they may come out into open areas.

They walk around and eat animals on the ground.

Habitat

Ishigaki Island in winter

Photographed on Ishigaki Island in winter.The adult bird was standing in a dim place out of direct sunlight. There was mud on its beak, so it seemed to be searching the ground for food.On the same day, I found a juvenile bird walking along the side of a shady forest. It was stretching and tucking its neck as it walked.