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Small gray heron with a white face and yellowish legs.
Not listed
Indigenous: Buyudhurrungiili, Budhuulgaa, Mardban.Garr, Matuka, White-Fronted Heron, Blue Crane
At a glance
FamilyHerons, Egrets, and Bitterns
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatMarshes, estuaries, river edges, mangroves, mudflats, and shallow water.
Best timeReported across most months in Victoria, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Romuald Mikusek
Range map
Range map
13148visible hotspots
758510visible records
6states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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
Often solitary. When disturbed it makes a grunting cough noise as it flies away. Young birds lack the white face so beware confusion with all-grey Pacific Reef-Heron, which has chunkier legs and more uniformly dark gray belly; found along rocky coast.
Behavior
Common around wetlands, parks, and gardens.
Gallery