The White-necked Heron is widespread throughout most of Australia except the deserts of eastern WA and western SA, from the Nullarbor Plain north to the Great Sandy Desert. Although it occurs in Tasmania, it is sporadic there. These herons usually breed in colonies, often situated among the nests of spoonbills, egrets and cormorants. Most of their breeding sites are in wetlands within the Murray–Darling Basin, though they also nest in the Diamantina Basin and in south-western Australia, where the species expanded its range in the 1950s.
The White-necked Heron is a large heron with a white head and a long white neck with a double line of black spots running down the front. The upperparts of the body are slate-black, with plum-coloured nuptial plumes on the back and breast during the breeding season. Underparts are grey and streaked with white. The bill is black, the naked facial skin is blue or yellow, the eyes are green, and the legs and feet are black. In flight, it has large white “headlight” spots on the carpal joint (bend of the wing). The White-necked Heron is sometimes known as the Pacific Heron.
A loud croak is uttered as an alarm call. Other guttural calls are uttered at the nest. Bird call recorded by: Mike FitzGerald
The White-necked Heron is distributed throughout mainland Australia, inhabiting mainly fresh water wetlands. The White-necked Heron is distributed throughout mainland Australia, inhabiting mainly fresh water wetlands.
Habitat: Wetland, Marine, Grassland
Although White-necked Herons are sometimes seen in tidal areas, most are found in shallow fresh waters, including farm dams, flooded pastures, claypans, and even roadside ditches.
Like other herons, the White-necked Heron has a special hinge mechanism at the sixth vertebra that allows them to rapidly extend its folded neck and so catch unwary prey. White-necked Herons have regular winter or spring movements in many areas, but little is known of their patterns of movement.
White-necked Herons feed by wading in shallow water or stalking through wet grass looking for fish, amphibians, crustaceans and insects.
White-necked Herons will breed in any month of the year in response to good rain, but most breeding occurs between September and December. The nest is a loose platform in a living tree such as a river red gum near or over water. The nests may be solitary or in loose colonies. Eggs are incubated by both parents.
