Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water.
Not listed
Indigenous: Baluun
At a glance
FamilyHerons, Egrets, and Bitterns
SizeGiant
RarityCommon
HabitatOccurs in any shallow wetland, including ponds, marshes, and tidal mudflats.
Best timeReported across most months in Queensland, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Pere Josa
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
377444approx records
7states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
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
Size and black legs help separate from other egrets. Widespread and fairly common across the globe. Often seen singly, but sometimes gathers in large numbers where food is plentiful. Breeds in colonies, frequently mixed with other egrets and herons.
Behavior
Bill color varies across range: always yellow in the Americas, black in breeding season elsewhere.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
Northern Territory
New South Wales
Tasmania
Victoria
Western Australia
South Australia
Australian Capital Territory