(Aedea pacifica)
Length: 90 cmUncommon
The White-necked Heron is a large heron with a white head and a long white neck, the upper parts of the body are slate-black. Underparts are grey streaked with white. The bill, legs and feet are black. Can be identified by its languid flight and prominent white spots on each wing. White-necked Herons feed by wading in shallow water or stalking through wet grass looking for fish, amphibians, crustaceans and insects.
White-necked Herons will breed in any month of the year in response to good rain, but most breeding occurs between September and December. The nest is a loose platform in a living tree or over water. The nests may be solitary or in loose colonies. Eggs are incubated by both parents.
