Australian Field Ornithology 2016, 33, 148–150 http://dx.doi.org/10.20938/afo33148150 The first specimen of a Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus from Australia Walter E. Boles1*, Michael J. Smith2, Leah Tsang1 and Jaynia Sladek1,3 1Bird Section, Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney NSW 2010, Australia 2Department of Parks and Wildlife, Wetlands Conservation Program, 17 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington WA 6151, Australia 3Present address: 1/44 Seaview Street, Cronulla NSW 2230, Australia *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Abstract. An immature male Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus found as road-kill on Christmas Island in 2011 represents the first specimen of this species from Australian territory to be retained (although other individuals have been seen and one was trapped, measured and released). The specimen is now preserved in the bird collection of the Australian Museum. Introduction at the time as part of a birdwatching trip. The carcass was subsequently taken to Sydney by WB, and was prepared The Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus is as a study skin at the Australian Museum (Figure 2). one of four species in this genus, one of which occurs The bird was identified as a Malayan Night-Heron on in sub-Saharan Africa, the other three in southern and the basis of its black-and-white-flecked crest (Figures 1–2) eastern Asia. It ranges from southern India to south- and its broadly white-tipped primaries (Figure 3), which eastern and eastern Asia, the Philippines and Taiwan, separate it from all other members of the genus. The south through Indonesia as far as the Greater Sunda mottled crest also serves to show that this specimen is an Islands, and undertakes short migrations within that range immature bird (the crest is black in adults). (Martínez-Vilalta & Motis 1992). It has not been recorded on mainland Australia, but has occurred as a vagrant on The Japanese Night-Heron G. goisagi has also been Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. There recorded from Christmas Island (James & McAllan are at least 12 reports from Christmas Island, summarised 2014; BARC Case no. 548) and presents the potential by James & McAllan (2014), two of which have been for confusion. However, in no plumages does it have the reviewed and accepted by the BirdLife Australia Rarities flecked crest. Most texts describe the Japanese Night- Committee (BARC). There are at least two reports from the Heron as lacking white on the tips of the primaries; Cocos (Keeling) Islands: one in May 2011 and one from however, the outer primary (p10) has a narrow white tip January to May 2015 (Dooley 2011; Watson 2015a,b). All mainly restricted to the outer web and sometimes shows reports of this species so far are based on observations, very reduced tipping on other primaries. In all instances, albeit well documented and with excellent photographs in these white markings are much less extensive than in the many cases, so the opportunity is taken here to provide Malayan Night-Heron (D. Rogers pers. comm.; M. Carter details of the first specimen from Australia. pers. comm.). The specimen is now registered as Australian Museum Results specimen O.74803. It was measured and dissected by LT. The bird was a male (left testis 5 mm × 3 mm, right At least three Malayan Night-Herons were present on testis 4 mm × 2 mm). Its measurements were: weight Christmas Island from early December 2010 to early March 413 g, wing length 269 mm, wingspan 936 mm, tail length 2011 (James & McAllan 2014). Mike Carter reported a 87 mm, culmen (to insertion into skull) 57.4 mm, culmen Night-Heron observed daily near the corner of Dolly Beach (exposed) 43.4 mm, tarsus 68.2 mm, total head length Track during the period 4–7 January 2011 (Carter 2011). 103.6 mm. Soft-part colours were: iris yellow; bill: upper mandible brown-black, tomium (cutting edge) horn; lower On 19 January 2011, MS (then Natural Resource mandible horn with pinkish wash and horn tip, tomium light Manager, Christmas Island National Park) showed Harold brown; legs and feet dorsally brownish grey, ventrally (sole Cogger (former Deputy Director of the Australian Museum) of foot) olive-yellow (colours recorded from carcass after a photograph of a bird found dead on the road at the corner thawing, but before preparation of study skin). There was of the Dolly Beach Track and North–South Baseline Road no evidence of moult, all plumage appearing fresh and with (10°29′10″, 105°40′09″) (Figure 1). Cogger forwarded the no abrasion to the feathers. image to the Australian Museum for identification, and WB confirmed the bird as a young Malayan Night-Heron The gizzard contents, examined by JS, comprised a and requested that it be made available to the institution’s variety of broken insect parts and some grit. Among the collection. The bird, presumably that reported by Carter, insects were at least four grasshoppers (Orthoptera). was held in the National Park’s freezer until it could be Only one was sufficiently intact for measurement (length hand-carried to Perth by John Paxton (Senior Fellow, 3 cm), but other remains indicate that a considerably Australian Museum), who happened to be on the Island larger individual was also present. There were at least four First specimen of Malayan Night-Heron for Australia 149 Figure 1. Carcass of road-killed Malayan Night-Heron Figure 3. White-tipped primaries of Malayan Night-Heron, found on Christmas Island, 19 January 2011. Photo: Michael Australian Museum specimen AM O.74803. The white J. Smith tipping helps separate Malayan Night-Heron from other species in the genus. Photo: Walter E. Boles of wing, culmen, tarsus and tail compared with nominate subspecies: Ali & Ripley 1968) and is restricted to the Nicobar Islands, where it is sedentary (Hancock & Kushlan 1984; Rasmussen & Anderton 2005). Although the apparently growing number of records of this species from Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands likely reflects, at least in part, the increase in birders visiting these localities, it probably also shows that this species is a regular visitor from Indonesia. Most records for which the age has been reported have been young birds. Whether this indicates that individuals of this age are more dispersive than Figure 2. Malayan Night-Heron, Australian Museum adults is not known, although this is a common situation specimen AM O.74803. Dorsal and ventral views. Photo: for migratory species at the edge of their range. Walter E. Boles Acknowledgements caterpillars, probably those of hawk-moths (Sphingidae). We thank Harold Cogger for initially contacting the Australian The largest was 7 cm long; two others were each 4 cm Museum’s Ornithology Section, John Paxton for carrying the specimen from Christmas Island to the mainland, Alex Wang long. Samples of heart, liver, kidney and muscle tissue for its preparation as a study skin, and Tony Palliser (BARC) were taken and are held in the Australian Museum’s for discussion of the rare bird report submission. Mike Carter, Frozen Tissue Collection, curated by the Australian Centre Martin O’Brien and Richard Loyn made useful comments on for Wildlife Genomics. the manuscript, and Danny Rogers and Mike Carter provided information on the wing-tip plumage in the Japanese Night-Heron. The specimen record is included in The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA 2015). This report was submitted to, and accepted by, BARC (Submission no. 872: BARC 2015). References ALA (Atlas of Living Australia). (2015). Ornithology: O.74803. Preserved specimen of ARDEIDAE |Malay Night Heron Discussion recorded on 2011-01-19. Available online: http://biocache. ala.org.au/occurrences/c7cafc1a-3b3e-4eb0-9bac- The specimen represents the nominate subspecies e91d8c0d8701 (retrieved 10 July 2015). G. m. melanolophus based on the measurements. This Ali, S. & Ripley, S.D. (1968). Handbook of the Birds of India and would be expected also from the geographical proximity Pakistan, Volume 1: Divers to Hawks. Oxford University to the normal distribution of this form, and the fact that Press, Bombay, India. BARC (BirdLife Australia Rarities Committee) (2015). Submission the nominate subspecies undertakes regular migrations no 872: Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus within its south-eastern Asian range (Martínez-Vilalta Christmas Island, 19 January 2011. Available online: http:// & Motis 1992). The other subspecies, G. m. minor, is www.tonypalliser.com/barc/summaries/SUMM872.htm distinguished by its smaller size (non-overlapping lengths (retrieved 15 September 2015). 150 Australian Field Ornithology W.E. Boles, M.J. Smith, L. Tsang and J. Sladek Carter, M. (2011). Christmas Island 4-7 January 2011 trip report. Rasmussen, P.C. & Anderton, J. C. (2005). Birds of South Unpubl. report. Birding-Aus archives. http://bioacoustics.cse. Asia. The Ripley Guide, Volume 2: Attributes and Status. unsw.edu.au/birding-aus/2011-01/msg00647.html (retrieved Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC & Lynx Edicions, 10 August 2016). Barcelona. Dooley, S. ‘(compiler’) (2011). Twitchers’ corner. Wingspan 21 (3), Watson, C. (2015a). Twitchers’ corner. Australian Birdlife 4 (1), 55. 82–83. Hancock, J. & Kushlan, J. (1984). The Herons Handbook. Croom Watson, C. (2015b). Twitchers’ corner. Australian Birdlife 4 (2), Helm, London. 82–83. James, D.J. & McAllan, I.A.W. (2014). The birds of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean: A review. Australian Field Ornithology 31 (supplement), S1–S175. Martínez-Vilalta, A. & Motis, A. (1992). Family Ardeidae (herons). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (Eds). Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 1:Ostrich to Ducks. pp. 376–429. Received 14 May 2015, accepted 19 December 2015, Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. published online 14 September 2016.