| Japanese Night Heron | |
|---|---|
| An illustration by Philipp Franz von Siebold, from Fauna Japonica | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Ardeidae |
| Genus: | Gorsachius |
| Species: | G. goisagi |
| Binomial name | |
| Gorsachius goisagi Temminck, 1836 |
|
| Distribution map | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Ardea goisagi |
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The Japanese Night Heron, Gorsachius goisagi, is a species of night heron found in East Asia. It breeds in Japan, and winters in the Philippines and Indonesia. It is also seen in the spring and summer in Korea and the Russian Far East.
The Japanese Night Heron prefers dense, damp forest, in both its breeding and winter ranges. Common until the 1970s, this species is threatened by deforestation in its summer and winter ranges. Other documented threats include the introduction of the Siberian Weasel (Mustela sibirica) in its breeding range. The current population is estimated at less than 1,000 mature individuals.