White-necked Heron

Ardea pacifica Latham, 1801

White-necked Heron, Ardea pacifica, is a heron of Australia, where it breeds across much of the continent in freshwater country. It is also recorded from parts of Indonesia and New Guinea, while Tasmania holds only a scarce presence. The bird is notable for its nomadic pattern in Australia, shifting between water sources and often turning up in places it has not used before. Flooding and heavy rain can draw it in, and when conditions suit, it breeds and rears its young.

Order

Pelecaniformes

Family

Ardeidae — Herons, Bitterns

Breeding range

Australasia: Australia