White-necked Heron
Encyclopedia
The White-necked Heron, Ardea pacifica also known as the Pacific Heron is found throughout New Guinea
and Australia, except for the most arid regions, and is a vagrant to New Zealand.
It is a large, robust looking heron
, with dark slaty wings and body, and white head and neck. Its habitat mainly comprises freshwater wetland
s and wet grassland
s. It feeds on fish, frogs, insects and reptiles. It nests in dead or living trees associated with freshwater wetlands.
Widespread throughout its large range, the White-necked Heron is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Species.
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
and Australia, except for the most arid regions, and is a vagrant to New Zealand.
It is a large, robust looking heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
, with dark slaty wings and body, and white head and neck. Its habitat mainly comprises freshwater wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s and wet grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s. It feeds on fish, frogs, insects and reptiles. It nests in dead or living trees associated with freshwater wetlands.
Widespread throughout its large range, the White-necked Heron is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of Threatened Species.