First breeding observations and a new locality record of white-eared night-heron Gorsachius magnificus in southeast China.

摘要

White-eared Night-heron (Gorsachius magnificus) is the most threatened and geographically restricted of the herons. Its biology is essentially unknown. On 24 May 2004, six adults and four juveniles were found for the first time at Thousand Island Lake, Zhejiang Province, P. R. China. In all, six nests and sixteen eggs were found over three years. Thirteen nestlings survived to fledging from seven breeding pairs. These numbers are the largest ever documented for the species. Our observations of breeding performance serve as an important baseline for future research on this species.