One to eight (mostly two to four) long slender white plumes, erected in greeting and courtship displays, extend from the back of the head.
At a glance
Sounds
Range map
Range map
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Adults overall pale grayish with black cap and back. Red eyes. Juveniles noticeably different, brown and streaky with yellow eyes. Often crouched under overhanging branches during the day.
Behavior
Feeds nocturnally for fish, frogs and other prey. Where it overlaps with Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, note large teardrop-shaped white spots on wing coverts which Yellow-crowned lacks.
Gallery