ນົກເຈົ່ານາ

Buphus bacchus Bonaparte, 1855

Ardeidae

ນົກເຈົ່າໝໍ້/ black bittern
ນົກເຈົ່າຟານ/ cinnamon bittern

Body size length 45-52 cm. Adults outside breeding season: No description of behaviour while stationary. But when flying, the tail and wings are white. But head to chest is mostly light yellow with long, thick, dark brown stripes. The shoulders and feathers at the base of the wings are brown mixed with yellow green. The rest of the fur is white. The lips are yellow, and the beak is a dull colour (May have a darker colour on the upper lip). Legs/feet are greenish yellow to yellow. But sometimes it will be seen that the tips of the feathers are darker until reaching the outermost wing tips compared to the Java bird. Adults in breeding season: Chest, neck, and head are a burnt brown colour. The front of the neck is white. The feathers on the base of the wings and shoulders are Gray to black. [9]

Behaviour: Searches for food in outdoor areas such as rice fields and swamps. Typically remains still while scanning for fish. When resting, it retracts its neck. When it flies, it produces a loud "Krok" sound [6].
Food: It feeds on small aquatic animals, such as shrimp larvae, fish fry, crab larvae, snake larvae, and insects [6]

Native to Korea, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Viet Nam
Ardeola bacchus distribution between 2004 to 2024. Source: [5]

Central Annamites

Grasslands
Riparian vegetation
Rivers and streams
Marshes and peatlands

Native

Not invasive

Least concern

None

Food

Meat: Can be used as food such as grilled, larb, and others.[7]

Wild

April
May

Threat:
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Population
The global population is estimated to number c.25,000-1,000,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2006), while national population sizes have been estimated at c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in China and < c.100 breeding pairs and c.50-1,000 individuals on migration in Korea (Brazil 2009).

N/A

N/A

Nutrient	/100g	Remark
Proteins	N/A	N/A
Carbohydrates	N/A	N/A
Fats	N/A	N/A
Vitamins	N/A	N/A
Minerals	N/A	N/A
Fibers	N/A	N/A

Chinese Pond Heron. [1] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 12 January 2024 by: belvedere04. Available: www.inaturalist.org/photos/345769646. [Accessed: 18 September 2024].
Chinese Pond Heron flying. [2] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 18 January 2024 by: naturalist74450. Available: www.inaturalist.org/photos/347931788. [Accessed: 18 September 2024].
Chinese Pond Heron up close. [3] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 25 February 2023 by: quillasophink. Available: www.inaturalist.org/photos/263286622. [Accessed: 18 September 2024]

[4] Thai National Parks, “Chinese Pond Heron” [Online]. Available: https://www.thainationalparks.com/species/chinese-pond-heron. [Accessed: 18 September 2024]
[5] Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), “Species: Ardeola bacchus (Bonaparte, 1855)” [Online]. Available: https://www.gbif.org/species/2480907. [Accessed: 18 September 2024]
[6] Animal, “Animal,” [Online]. Available: https://chiangmai.zoothailand.org/en/animal_view.php?detail_id=95&c_id=. [Accessed: 15 March 2024]
[7] IUCN, “IUCN Red List,” [Online]. Available: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697133/93600684s. [Accessed: 06 March 2024]
[8] Heron Conservation Network, “Chinese Pond Heron,” [Online]. Available: https://www.heronconservation.org/herons-of-the-world/list-of-herons/chinese-pond-heron/#:~:text=Migration%3A%20Northern%20birds%20are%20migratory,Return%20migration%20is%20May%E2%80%93April. [Accessed: 18 September 2024].
[9] Xayyasith, S. (2018). Birds in Hin Nam No National Protected Area. Khaammuane: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.