Grove heron
| Grove heron | ||||||||||||
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Great Northern Heron ( Gorsachius magnificus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Gorsachius magnificus | ||||||||||||
| ( Ogilvie-Grant , 1899) |
The grove ( Gorsachius magnificus ) is a species from the heron family . It is found only in a small area in East Asia and is considered the most endangered species of heron. The population is estimated to be less than 1,000 birds and the IUCN classifies the species as critically endangered.
Appearance
The grove reaches a height of 54 centimeters. The gender dimorphism is only slightly pronounced. The head and neck of the females are a little less contrasty than that of the male. They also have a slightly shorter head of feathers.
The plumage is predominantly brown. The parting is black with a black-brown head of feathers. Behind the eye there is a noticeable white spot, the cheeks are brown-black. The chin and throat are white. The region around the eyes is conspicuously yellow-green, the iris is yellow. The beak is dark, only the underside of the beak is slightly yellow-green. The front neck is conspicuously brown to brown-black, longitudinally striped. The top of the body is dark gray-brown with a slight purple tinge. The wings are gray-black and the legs are green. From wave heron , the white-eared night heron by the darker wings, the dark side of the body and the brown-black striped neck differs.
Distribution area and habitat
The grove heron is considered to be the heron species with the smallest distribution area. It occurs exclusively in southeast China and Vietnam. It still breeds with certainty in two areas in China, in Guangxi and possibly in Guangdong and the province of Bắc Kạn in Vietnam. It is presumably no longer found in Hainan , as the last sighting there dates from 1962. It is not yet certain whether the Hainan Heron is a resident bird. It is possible that the northern herons observed in Hainan were hibernating birds that brooded further north.
The habitat of the great grouse are dense primary forests along rivers and wetlands. These habitats have largely disappeared in its entire range. In the last few decades the grove was mainly observed in low mountain ranges. However, it is possibly a type of flatland that finds the last retreat in low mountain ranges that meet its habitat requirements.
Way of life
Very little is known about the way of life of the grouse. According to what we know, it is nocturnal and builds its nests high up in trees. The food spectrum includes fish, shrimp and insects. However, it is considered to have not been adequately investigated.
Preservation measures
The responsible authorities of the provincial governments in Guangxi and Guangdong are making some efforts to preserve this species, which is under protection in China ( Class II national-protected species ). In the last few years they have mainly taken steps to locate the last breeding areas of this species. The aim is to put them under protection. One of the population-threatening factors is that herons are still hunted in China. The increased protection efforts in China were initiated after a grove was offered for sale on a market in Nanning in the 1990s .
supporting documents
Single receipts
- ↑ Kushlan et al., P. 278
- ↑ Kushlan et al., P. 276
- ↑ Kushlan et al., P. 277
- ↑ BirdLife Factsheet , accessed September 12, 2009
- ↑ Kushlan et al., P. 278
- ↑ BirdLife Factsheet , accessed September 12, 2009
- ↑ Kushlan et al., Pp. 278 and 279
literature
- James A. Kushlan & James A. Hancock: Herons . Oxford University Press, 2005, ISBN 0-19-854981-4
Web links
- Gorsachius magnificus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2013. Retrieved November 21, 2013.