Pacific Heron (Ardea pacifica)

Other Names (World)
White-necked Heron, Pacific Heron, White-necked Crane

Family
Ardeidae (Herons)

Size
76 - 106 cm

First Described (Guide)
Latham, 1801

Derivation
Ard'-e-a - L., heron: pacifica - N.L., of the Pacific Ocean

Habitat
Terrestrial wetlands, grasslands and less often, estuarine habitats.

Range (Guide)

Australia (B), Indonesia, Papua New Guinea.

Vagrant to New Zealand.

Australia and Tasmania. Scarce, but probably regular, in southern New Guinea.

Population
Estimated population is 10,000 - 100,000 (2010).

Status LC
For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Food
Fish, small reptiles, molluscs, frogs and aquatic insects,

Voice
Generally quiet at and away from the nest. Harsh, loud, gutural alarm calls, At nest utters a loud 'oomph'.

(16Kb) © ? (1)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (3)...)

White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica) [XC439287]
by id from Chong Swamp, Oyala-Thumutang NP, Queensland, Australia (call)

White-necked Heron (Ardea pacifica) [XC311793]
by Marc Anderson from Cunnamulla - Eulo Road, Queensland, Australia (call)

Nest
Bulky, looslet constructed platform, with a central depression, composed of sticks and twigs, sometimes lined with finer twigs, often in dead trees standing in water, but also in tall living trees, usually located on a twisted horizontal or sloping fork, from 1 - 40 m above the ground or over water.

Eggs (Guide)
Up to 6, usually 4; dull blue-green; oval; about 53 x 38 mm. Incubation: about 30 days; by both sexes.

Young
Altricial, nidicolous.

Subspecies
No subspecies.

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

Files:

JPG files for Pacific Heron (Ardea pacifica) - 10 files

MP3 files for Pacific Heron (Ardea pacifica) - 1 files

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BirdLife International

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BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

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