A small, dark heron that darts actively through mangroves and muddy edges, often flicking its short tail.
Not listed
Indigenous: Pied Egret, White-Headed Egret
At a glance
FamilyHerons, Egrets, and Bitterns
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatThe pied heron ( Egretta picata ), also known as the pied egret is a bird found in coastal and subcoastal areas of monsoonal northern Australia as well as some parts of Wallacea and New Guinea .
Best timeMost reliable in Northern Territory from July to October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
625visible hotspots
19830visible records
4states
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
Adult has a dark cap with dark plumes creating a distinctive appearance (think
Behavior
Soft cooing is given around the nest. Breeding takes place from February to May.
Gallery
Regional timing
Northern Territory
Queensland
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Commonly confused with
Medium EgretArdea intermediaThings to look for include a yellow bill that is shorter than Great Egret but longer than Eastern Cattle Egret, a relatively rounded head, and shorter legs than Great Egret, approaching Eastern Cattle Egret.→Pacific Reef-HeronEgretta sacraDark-morph individuals are entirely dark gray. Both morphs have a yellowish green bill and legs, although dark morphs especially can also have a dark bill. Light morph adults are distinguished from egrets in the area by their distinct short-legged appearance and noticeably thicker bill.→Nankeen Night HeronNycticorax caledonicusAdult is rufous with pale breast and a black cap. Immature is heavy streaked, and can be easily confused with Striated Heron (black crown), Black Bittern (darker, with yellow neck stripe), or Australasian Bittern (which is a much larger bird).→