Appearance:

Told from Common Nightjar by evenly broad pale bands on coverts, no dark leading edge of wing and rufous necklace all around nape. Underparts more rufous than C. Nightjar, and white throat-patch larger. Sexes are very similar, and both show white patches on wings and tail. Larger than C.N. and with experience possible to identify in silhouetting flight by it's larger head and longer tail.

Sound:

Female calls with rasping series of "eech-eech-eech-eech". Flightcall resembles C.N. Song very diagnostic, and not likely to be confused with any other sound. May be described as a fairly deep and resonant knocking, with a steam-engine-like rhythm; "ko-tok, ko-tok, ko-tok, ko-tok ".

Song:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-Photo:Hans Verdaat, Licence,Link.

CC-Photo:Bram Borkent, Licence,Link.

CC-Photo:Jorrit Vlot, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Small, stocky, white heron with short bill and neck. Heavy jowl. Plumage all white, except in breeding birds which show varying amount of buff on back, crown and chest. Bill usually yellow, but turns orange-red in breeding birds, and is dark in immatures. Legs pale greyish green, but darker in young birds. May be confused with both Little Egret and Squacco Heron in flight. Differs from Little Egret in leg color and shorter, thicker neck and bill. Told from Squacco Heron by unstreaked body/head, and smaller bill. Generally leaves a less elegant impression than other small herons.

Sound:

Usually silent away from breeding ground. In the colonies a chorus of various coarse sounds can be heard. Most distinct is a disyllabic "rick-rack". Other sounds includes short, guttural utterings, or drawn, harsh shrieks.

Contact calls:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC