White-necked Heron

The White-necked Heron is a widespread species that inhabits mostly freshwater bodies such as lakes, farm dams, billabongs, and flooded paddocks. Rarely does this bird appear in estuarine areas. It feeds on insects, fish and crustaceans found in shallow water and wet grassland.

 

Sometimes described as irruptive in our district, White-necked Herons can appear suddenly after a decent rainfall event and then disappear just as quickly as the country dries out. The more commonly seen and smaller White-faced Heron tends to be more sedentary or perhaps nomadic at best.

 

White-necked Herons build a stick nest in a tall tree adjacent to a wetland.

 

Birds in breeding plumage have an all-white neck and some plum-coloured plumes on their back and breast, lacking the black spots of non-breeding birds.