Pied Heron (Egretta picata)

Other Scientific Names
Egretta picata [Christidis and Boles (2008)]

Other Names (World)
Pied Heron, Allied Egret, Pied Egret, White-headed Egret

Family
Ardeidae (Herons)

Size
43 - 50 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Gould, 1845)

Derivation
Ard'-e-a - L., heron: pic-a'-ta - L., picatus, like a magpie, pied

Abundance (Guide)
LA - C

Locally abundant and common across the north in areas of extensive wetlands. Dispersive.

Habitat
Margins of wetlands, lakes, frshwater lagoons, ricefields, tidal rivers, mudflats, mangroves, sewage ponds, stockyards, grabage tips, freshly burned ground. From sea-level - 1,650 m.

Range (Guide)

Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan (China), Timor-Leste (NB).

Northern Australia and southern Sulawesi. Also New Guinea, Moluccas and Tanimbar Is, where probably non-breeding visitor.

Tropical northern Australia, from about Wyndham, WA to the Gulf of Carpentaria, and eastern Queensland south to about Townsville.

Rarity Status
View Rarity Status Information

Population
Estimated population is 25,000 - 100,000 (2010).

Status LC
Probably secure.

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Usually in groups, occasionally in flocks of many hundreds.

Food
Aquatic animals, principally insects but also grogs and fish.

Voice
A loud, 'awk', usually uttered in flight.

(28Kb) © ? (1)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (7)...)

Pied Heron (Egretta picata) [XC377239]
by Philippe Verbelen from Wasur National Park, Papua, Indonesia (call)

Pied Heron (Egretta picata) [XC377237]
by Philippe Verbelen from Wasur National Park, Papua, Indonesia (call)

Breeding Season (Guide)
Mostly February - April.

Nest
A slightly concave structure, composed of twigs, placed in a mangrove tree at heights up to about five meters above the ground or water.

Eggs (Guide)
3 or 4; blue-green; ellipsoidal; about 42 x 30 mm.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

Similar Species
Juvenile with White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica) which has black legs, a grey to black bill and distinctive black spots on the foreneck.

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References
See References.

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

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