PORT PHILLIP BAY


White-necked Heron 

Ardea pacifica

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

See below for information.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Ciconiiformes
Family:
Ardeidae
Genus:
Ardea
Species:
pacifica

General Description

Upper body blue-grey with streaks of purple-green, shoulders white. Underparts, head and neck white. Throat and neck speckled black. Bill and legs black. Body up to 1 m long.

Biology

White-necked Herons feed on crustaceans, frogs, insects and fish. They mainly catch these in shallow water or wet grasslands.

Habitat

Freshwater wetlands and swamps.

Coastal shores

Distribution guide

Australia.

Species Group

Birds Herons and egrets

Max Size

1 m

Diet

Carnivore

Commercial Species

Yes

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Least Concern

Author

article author Longmore, N. W.

Wayne Longmore is a Senior Collection manager of terrestrial vertebrates at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author O'Brien, R.

Rory O'Brien is a Collection Manager of terrestrial vertebrates at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Longmore, N. W. & O'Brien, R., 2011, White-necked Heron, Ardea pacifica, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 22 Oct 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/7864

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