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Birds and Butterflies of Rhodes
RODOPTERA
Nycticorax nycticorax
Black-crowned night heron. Greek: νυχτοκόρακας. Gadouras River, May 2022.
Passage migrant, uncommon. Length 55-65 cm, wingspan 105-115 cm. Sexes similar. River mouths with dense vegetation. Roosts during day. Feeds mainly at night, occasionally in daylight. Stand-and-wait and slow-stalk foraging methods. Solitary feeder, defends foraging territory. Takes mainly fish, frogs and large insects. Flies with retracted neck and fast wing beats.
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