Common Name: White-faced Heron

Distribution: Found throughout the Australian mainland and Tasmania, and most coastal islands. It also occurs in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand.

Ecological Notes: Can be observed in a variety of wetland habitats: they occur on reefs, in rock pools and mudflats by the coast, in estuaries and saltmarsh, swamps, rivers, drains and at farm dams; they even occur in pasture and hypersaline wetlands. The White-faced Heron feeds on a wide variety of prey, including insects, amphibians and fish.

Additional Notes: Prey is obtained in a variety of ways, including walking and disturbing prey, searching among damp crevices or simply standing in the water and watching for movement.

References: Atlas of Living Australia at White-faced Heron Accessed 14 August 2023.
Birdlife Australia at http://birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/white-faced-heron Accessed 27 July 2020.