White-faced Heron

Egretta novaehollandiae(Latham, 1790)

Also known asGuwarriWy-it-p

Least ConcernNative

Order: PELECANIFORMES
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Egretta

Conservation: Least Concern
Commonness: Very common
Best seen: Year-round

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

The white-faced heron also known as the white-fronted heron, and incorrectly as the grey heron, or blue crane, is a common bird throughout most of Australasia, including New Guinea, the islands of Torres Strait, Indonesia, New Zealand, and all but the driest areas of Australia.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

01
White face and crown
Forehead, crown, chin, and upper throat are stark white, creating a distinct facial pattern.
02
Uniform pale blue-grey body
The body, back, and wings are a consistent, unstreaked pale grey, appearing slightly bluish in some light.
03
Long, slender yellow legs
04
Long, dagger-like black bill

Field specs

Length: 60–70 cm
Weight: 450–700 g
Wingspan: 102 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

behaviour

Watch for active foraging techniques like foot raking and wing flicking to disturb prey, or a peculiar, rhythmic neck-swaying movement when standing still.

flight

Flies with slow, rhythmic wing beats on a slightly bouncing trajectory, keeping its neck tucked back in a tight 'S' curve with legs trailing well behind the tail.

plumage

Look for the stark white face that extends from the forehead to the throat, contrasting sharply against a pale blue-grey body and dull yellow legs.
Immature birds lack the namesake white face of the adults; look instead for a white throat and a paler grey body often washed with reddish tones underneath.

size_and_shape

Features a slender, elegant silhouette with a notably thin neck and a sharp, dagger-like bill that is dark with a paler grey base.

voice

Listen for a harsh, guttural 'graak' or gravelly croak, most frequently heard when the bird is startled into flight or during aggressive encounters.

02 · Where

Where to find it

Breeding range: Timor (east Lesser Sundas), Australasia to New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga (south-west and south-central Polynesia)
Non-breeding range: To Java, north Sulawesi, south New Guinea and Solomon Is.

03 · When