its usual nesting habits. In addition, the night heron's nests fall within the predatory niche of the rapidly increasing crow population in the area. Since 1901, when Siberian weasels were introduced to Hokkaido, the Japanese night heron has also faced both competition and predation from Siberian weasels, which are active hunters of the fish and insects that the heron preys on. As a result, the Japanese night heron has seen a dramatic decline in the wild. Conservation The Japanese night heron is very rare, because of its restricted breeding area. The population of the heron has decreased down to a few thousand within the last decade. For this reason, the Japanese night heron is legally protected by Japanese and Hong Kong Laws, and many programs have been proposed to counteract/steady the decline and create a revitalization of the species. The conservation acts propose public awareness, further study of the heron's home range within the seasons of breeding and inactivity, and control the sale of specimens. The control and inhibition of invasive species that impact the heron are also being addressed. See also Night heron List of birds of Japan References External links Japanese night heron Birds of Japan Japanese night heron