Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (mainland), India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Vietnam.
Vagrant to Christmas Island, Palau.
South-western India, in Western Ghats, south to Nilgiris and southern Kerala; Assam to southern China and south through Indochina to Philippines; Nicobar Is. Winters in Sri Lanka, Malay Peninsula and Greater Sundas.
Population
Estimated population is 2,000 - 20,000 (2010).
Voice
A series of 10 - 15 deep, 'hoo, hoo, hoo-' notes at intervals of 1 - 2 seconds. Often heard at dawn and dusk, from a high perch in the forest canopy.
Malayan Night Heron (Gorsachius melanolophus) [XC442542]
by Yuhinasan from Neihu District, Taipei City, Taiwan (call)
Malayan Night Heron (Gorsachius melanolophus) [XC623328]
by Jerome Chie-Jen Ko from National Taiwan Normal University Main Campus II, Taipei City, Taiwan, Taiwan (call)
Nest
A flimsy platform composed of sticks placed in a tree, 5 - 8 m above the ground.
Eggs (Guide)
3 - 5; white, tinged with blue; oval; 46 x 37 mm.
Subspecies
May form superspecies with Japanese Night-heron (Gorsachius goisagi).
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9
BirdLife International Species Factsheet