Malayan night heron is distributed in southern and eastern Asia. Twenty or thirty years ago, it was not easy to see the Malayan night heron in Taiwan and it is nocturnal. But the environment has changed, now they are often seen. I have seen Malayan night herons in Hualien and in Taipei Daan Forest Park as well as Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall. The one in Hualien (figure 1), from its black and white-spotted head, can be identified as a juvenile. The one in Daan Forest Park (figure 2) must be older. You can see their differences. The Malayan night heron is usually solitary. It roosts in trees and feeds in open areas. It is nocturnal. The most common food items are earthworms and frogs, and it will sometimes eat fish.
黑冠麻鷺又名黑冠鳽或黑冠虎斑鳽，臺灣話俗稱山暗光，亦有地瓜鳥和大笨鳥的別稱（因其平時行走速度緩慢略顯笨拙)，主要分佈於亞洲南部和東部。二、三十年前，在臺灣並不容易看到黑冠麻鷺，而且它通常是夜間活動的動物，但是環境變遷，現在平常便能看到它們。我在花蓮以及台北的大安森林公園及國父紀念館都看到過黑冠麻鷺，花蓮的這隻，從它黑色且有白斑的頭，可認定這是一隻幼鳥。大安森林公園的這隻肯定年紀較大，你們可比較它們的差別。黑冠麻鷺通常是獨居的。它棲息在樹上，在開闊的地方覓食。常夜間活動。它們常吃蚯蚓和青蛙，它有時會吃魚。
1: Photo Date: 2022.07.19, Location: Hualien, Taiwan 臺灣花蓮
2: Photo Date: 2022.07.26, Location: Taipei Daan Forest Park, Taiwan 台北大安森林公園
3: Photo Date: 2022.06.28, Location: Taipei, Taiwan 台北花卉實驗中心
4: Photo Date: 2024.05.03, Location: Taipei, Taiwan 台北國父紀念館
Notes 筆記
- The Malayan night heron (Gorsachius melanolophus), also known as Malaysian night heron and tiger bittern. It is distributed in southern and eastern Asia.
- The Malayan night heron is usually solitary. It roosts in trees and feeds in open areas. It is nocturnal.
- The most common food items are earthworms and frogs, and it will sometimes eat fish.
- 黑冠麻鷺又名黑冠鳽或黑冠虎斑鳽，臺灣話俗稱山暗光，亦有地瓜鳥和大笨鳥的別稱（因其平時行走速度緩慢略顯笨拙)，主要分佈於亞洲南部和東部。
- 黑冠麻鷺通常是獨居的。它棲息在樹上，在開闊的地方覓食。常夜間活動。
- 它們常吃蚯蚓和青蛙，它有時會吃魚。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Malayan night heron
- Birding in Taiwan: Malayan Night-Heron
- 維基百科: 黑冠麻鷺
- 泛科學: 黑冠麻鷺，公民科學的第一哩「鷺」
- Peter’s Blog: 黑冠麻鷺
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