White-necked heron
| White-necked heron | ||||||||||||
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White-necked heron ( Ardea pacifica ) |
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| Ardea pacifica | ||||||||||||
| Latham , 1801 |
The white-necked heron ( Ardea pacifica ) is a bird art from the family of herons . White-necked herons breed exclusively in Australia, non-breeding herons are also found in Tasmania and New Guinea. Random visitors occasionally also reach New Zealand.
The IUCN classifies the white-necked heron as not endangered ( least concern ).
Appearance
The white-necked heron is a relatively large heron. It reaches a body length of 76 to 196 centimeters. The wingspan is 147 to 160 centimeters. They weigh an average of 860 grams. There is no noticeable sexual dimorphism , the females are just slightly smaller.
Its head and long neck are colored white. The body is black on top, gray on the underside feathered . The beak and legs are also black in color. White-necked herons have black spots along the lower throat and fore neck. The number and size of the spots vary from person to person.
White-necked herons usually fly at a height of 30 to 100 meters. The neck is laid back typical of the heron, the feet stretched far back. With suitable thermals, they occasionally circle at high altitudes.
Occurrence
As a breeding bird, the white-necked heron occurs in almost all of Australia . It is only missing in some arid regions in western Australia. Its habitat is freshwater of all kinds, you can even find it at cattle troughs and ditches. However, it is rarely seen on the coast and in estuaries. Basically, however, the white-necked heron is an opportunist who very quickly uses suitable habitats when large parts of the Australian bushland are flooded after periodic rainfall.
food
It preyes on its food, consisting of fish , amphibians , crustaceans and insects , in shallow water or in damp meadows. His behavior is typical of herons. It lies in wait for most of the prey, standing motionless for a long time. But it also finds prey by walking slowly. The neck and body are carried almost horizontally. He looks for food mostly alone, but couples are also observed regularly. Occasionally small troops also form, in exceptional cases groups of up to 200 herons are observed.
Reproduction
White-necked herons are believed to be monogamous birds. Both parent birds are involved in the breeding and rearing of the young birds. They usually breed between September and December, but also at other times of the year when it is humid enough to raise their young. White-necked herons nest individually or in small colonies on trees near water. Colonies usually consist of two to 30 pairs. In exceptional cases, colonies can contain several hundred pairs. Breeding colonies of white-necked herons are occasionally associated with other heron species, cormorants, spoonbills and ibis. The clutch size has not yet been precisely investigated, but is probably between two and five eggs. The breeding season is about 30 days.
supporting documents
literature
- PJ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds , Volume 1, Ratites to Ducks, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1990, ISBN 0195530683
- Peter Rowland. Birds in australia. Giessen 2000.
Web links
- Ardea pacifica onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
- Factsheet at birdsinbackyards.net
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Ardea pacifica in the Internet Bird Collection