White-Faced Heron-1 (Egretta novaehollandae) by stuart83
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Description
Description
The White-faced Heron is mostly light blue-grey in colour, with a characteristic white face. In flight, the dark flight feathers of the wing contrast with the paler grey plumage, making this bird easily identifiable when viewed from below. It has a long, slim neck and a pointed grey-black bill. The legs are long and dull yellow in colour. Sexes are similar. When breeding, the birds have long feathers (nuptial plumes) on the head, neck and back. The White-faced Heron has a slow bouncing flight.
Young White-faced Herons are similar in appearance to the non-breeding adults (no nuptial plumes), but are duller, with little or no white on the face. They often have a reddish colour on the underparts.
Distribution and Habitat
White-faced Herons are the most commonly seen herons in Australia. They are found throughout the mainland and Tasmania, and most coastal islands. They also occur in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand. White-faced Herons can be found anywhere where there is water, from tidal mudflats and coastal reefs to moist grasslands and gardens.
Food and Feeding
The White-faced Heron feeds on a wide variety of prey, including fish, insects and amphibians. Food is obtained in a variety of ways, such as walking and disturbing prey, searching among damp crevices or simply standing in the water and watching for movement.
Breeding
White-faced Herons breed mainly between October and December, but may breed at other times in response to rainfall. Both sexes share the building of the nest, incubation of the eggs and care of the young. The nest is an untidy structure of sticks, placed in a tree. Normally only one brood of three to four, occasionally up to seven, young is raised in a year.
Got home from work about an hour ago, he was sitting on next doors fence.
Thanks for looking comments/ critique always welcome.
Stuart
Comments (18)
MaydaMason
beautiful nature photography
jinet
Splendid !
erlandpil
Great portrait erland
alhak
great close up!
Littlejock
Great details and close up in this bird. Big Hugs
viper
Nice crisp, clean capture of a beautiful bird.
kjpweb
Cool shot! And even more so, because I never seen one of those! Well done - both of them!
Mondwin
Really SUPERB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!bravissimo!!:DDD.Hugsxx
auntietk
That is an absolutely stunning shot! And thanks for all the information! An unbeatable combination: something beautiful to look at, with a comprehensive caption.
elmurray
Such a beautiful bird and your capture is just stunning. Excellent shot. Bravo! *****
Loloe
Wow!!! great shot!!!! superb close-up!!! Bravo!!!!!!
TheAnimaGemini
Wow...stunning shot...beautyfull creature. Fantastic color.
justnew
A most excellent capture accompanied by a very descriptive history on the white- faced heron. Thank you for sharing.
sharky_
Wow, really got in there with your zoom lens. Beautiful shot. Aloha
sema_fox
Both works are well made.
natalieb
Oh wow, you got pretty close to this fellow! Were I live I see many blue herons. Beautiful photo!
RobyHermida
Bbeautiful bird.!!!!!!!! Roby ;O)
celtxian
An excellent image! Excellent use of DOF and composition. A lovely image.