Size:Length; 65cm. Wingspan; 112cm. Weight; 800g.

Habitat and Distribution:Extremely varied, fresh, brackish or salt water. Forested margins of shallow rivers, streams, lakes, swamps, marshes and mangroves. Central and southern Europe, central and south Asia, north to Japan, Africa and Madagascar..

Age: Up to 21 years in the wild.

Groups and Breeding: Nest in trees, bushes, reed beds or cliff ledges. Nest constructed of  sticks, rushes or reeds and may be re-used in the following years. Lay up to 8 eggs which are mainly incubated by the female for a period of around 22 days. Young fledge at 6 to 7 weeks.

Diet: Fish, frogs, tadpoles, turtles, snakes, lizards, insects, crustaceans, small rodents, bats, eggs and chicks.

• Although not very agile fliers they can cover great distances, and have been recorded flying at speeds of up to 35 miles an hour.
• The name Nycticorax derives from the Greek for “night raven”.
• As their name suggests they are mainly active during the twilight (crepuscular) or nocturnal hours.
• One of the 60 species of the Ardeidae family (Herons).
• The long neck is used to propel the beak forward like a harpoon, to enable quick capture of prey.