Скачать или смотреть Nankeen Night Heron perching with Mudlark above Gardiners Creek Melbourne Australia 16 March 2024

This immature Nankeen Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus) was seen as it perched on a branch with a female Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) above Gardiners Creek, Melbourne. Gardiners Creek, also known as the Kooyong Koot waterway is a fresh water creek which supports a variety of waterbirds.

The Nankeen Night Heron has distinctive plumage. Both males and females have the same plumage with a black crown, cream face, throat and underparts. The wings, back and tail are cinnamon brown. During the breeding stage three long white nuptial plumes are present. The thick dark bill is approximately the same length as the head. The legs and feet are cream/yellow.

Nankeen Night Herons are reported to breed when their aquatic food is plentiful. Foraging occurs mainly at night and during the early morning but this immature Nankeen Night-Heron has been seen as it foraged for fish in the middle of the day.

In juvenile Nankeen Night-Herons the plumage has a completely different appearance; juveniles appear spotted and streaked in white, brown and orange-brown colours. The black adult crown feathers develop first, with the body plumage remaining streaked for some time before the full adult plumage is achieved.

The Mudlark or Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) is an Australasian bird with black and white plumage. It is noticeably smaller than the Australian Magpie. The male and female Magpie-lark appear similar with both having black and white plumage, but can be distinguished by the different patterning on the head and neck. The adult male Magpie-lark has a white eyebrow and black face, while the female Magpie-lark has a black head and an all-white face with no white eyebrow.
The Magpie-lark has a pale eye iris, a slender white bill with a black central line, and black legs and feet. The back is generally black with a white rump, and a black and white tail. The wings are black and white. The underside is brightly white with a black chest patch. Young birds are similar to the adults but have a black forehead, a white eyebrow and a white throat.

The Magpie-lark is carnivorous and forages mainly on the ground for a variety of insects, insect lavae, earthworms and along the creek banks for freshwater invertebrates.