A pair of white-eared night herons (Gorsachius magnificus) has successfully raised three chicks at Xiaoliukeng-Qingzhangshan Provincial Nature Reserve in Nanxiong, Shaoguan, Guangdong. This marks the reserve's best recorded breeding success in more than a decade.
The three chicks, now about six weeks old, have mostly shed their down feathers and begun exploring the area around the nest while practicing short flights. If conditions remain stable, they are expected to leave the nest with their parents soon to learn how to forage on their own.
The white-eared night heron is often described as one of the world's most elusive birds because it is active mainly at night and thus is rarely seen. It is a first-class protected species in China and is classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
With strict habitat requirements, the white-eared night heron typically breeds in densely forested areas near mountain streams and reservoirs with good water quality. Its breeding success is therefore highly sensitive to changes in water levels, food availability, weather, and human disturbance.
Researchers said white-eared night herons in the reserve typically lay a single clutch of about three eggs each year, but in most years, only one chick survives because of limited food resources in the reservoir. This year, however, lower water levels have exposed shallow feeding areas close to the nest, allowing the parent birds to forage more efficiently and successfully raise all three chicks.
Author | Huang Xinying
Photo | Southern Metropolis Daily
