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White-faced HeronAlternate name(s): "White-fronted Heron"; misnomer: "Blue Crane"  Aboriginal name(s): "budhuulgaa" [yuwaalaraay];
"gurehlgam" [western bundjalung];
"takakamuta" [yartwatjali], "karnayn" [eastern djadjawurrung];
"wyan", "boolong" (WA)Size: 66-69 cm Weight: 450-690 g |
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Similar |
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Description
Classification
Distribution
Sightings
Photos
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
Food
Call/s
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 Click here for a physical description
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
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Click here for sighting information
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Photos |
Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a
look here 
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
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BREEDING |
Full-frontal view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2012]
Frontal view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Creek Reservoir, QLD, February 2019]
Near-lateral view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Stanthorpe, QLD, February 2021]
Near-lateral view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Toorbul, Brisbane, QLD, January 2018]
Lateral portrait of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, August 2015]
Close-up lateral view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, August 2015]
Lateral view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Brisbane River, Brisbane, QLD, October 2012]
Lateral view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
inspecting a pond
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2012]
Distant lateral view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage;
this is the bird whose calls were recorded
on 13 March 2020
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, March 2020]
Dorsal view of a White-faced Heron in breeding
plumage
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2012]
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NON-BREEDING |
Frontal view of a White-faced Heron in non-breeding
plumage
[Whittaker's Lagoon, near Moree, NSW, June 2012]
White-faced Heron in non-breeding
plumage
having its feathers
ruffled by a strong tail wind
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Karatta, Kangaroo Island, SA, March 2016]
This is the White-faced Heron whose
calls were recorded on 27
July 2016
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, July 2016]
Near-frontal view of a White-faced Heron in non-breeding
plumage
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2009]
Near-frontal view of a White-faced Heron in non-breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Wynnum Foreshore, Brisbane, QLD, August 2017]
Lateral view of a White-faced Heron in non-breeding
plumage
[Near Hat Head, NSW, January 2011]
White-faced Heron in non-breeding or partial breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Botanical Garden, Melbourne, VIC, October 2017]
White-faced Heron hunting in shallow water
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2011]
White-faced Heron in an intertidal wetland
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, February 2012]
White-faced Heron taking off from its perch
[Whittaker's Lagoon, near Moree, NSW, June 2012]
Frontal view of a White-faced Heron in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2019]
Frontal view of a White-faced Heron preparing for landing
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2019]
Lateral view of a White-faced Heron in flight, with its neck almost straight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2011]
White-faced Heron in flight, with its head lower than everything else
[Old Bar, NSW, July 2013]
White-faced Heron in flight, with the typical folded neck and trailing
legs (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2014]
Flaps, landing gear out - White-faced Heron preparing to land
[Old Bar, NSW, July 2013]
Lateral/ventral view of a White-faced Heron in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2018]
Lateral/ventral view of a White-faced Heron in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2018]
Hybrid
Lateral view of a suspected hybrid between a White-faced Heron
and a Pied Heron;
a comparison with a
Magpie Goose
shows that it is a small heron (photo courtesy of R. Russell)
[Near Mareeba, QLD, December 2011]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Frontal view of a juvenile White-faced Heron; note the absence
of the white facial mask; the faint light-grey ring around the
eye indicates that this is not a grey-morphology Eastern Reef Egret
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Caloundra Headland, QLD, January 2018]
Lateral view of a juvenile White-faced Heron moulting into
adult plumage
[Pilliga Lagoon, Pilliga, NSW, February 2017]
Lateral view of a juvenile White-faced Heron (photo courtesy of
R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, May 2014]
Portrait of a young White-faced Heron that has no flight yet;
this bird was only about 35-40 cm tall
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]
Near-frontal view of the same White-faced Heron
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]
Lateral view of the same White-faced Heron
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]
Dorsal view of the same White-faced Heron as shown above
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2011]
Direct comparison of a White-faced Heron (left) and a juvenile
White-necked Heron
(right)
[Near Moree, NSW, June 2013]
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Breeding information |
| Breeding season: Sep - Jan | Eggs: 3 - 5 | Incubation period: 21 - 24 days | Fledging age: 40 - 45 days |
White-faced Herons are usually solitary breeders, rarely in loose, small colonies. The breeding season of White-faced Herons can be longer, inland especially when there is plenty of water (and thereby prey).
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
| Type: Basket | Material: Sticks | Height above ground: 10 - 25 m |
White-faced Heron near its nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]
White-faced Heron on its nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]
White-faced Heron on its nest (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
The same White-faced Heron nest as shown above, now with juveniles
in it (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
White-faced Heron chick that has ventured out of its nest
(photo courtesy of E.
Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, October 2017]
White-faced Heron chick that has ventured out of its nest
(photo courtesy of E.
Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, October 2017]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
| Size: 47 x 34 mm | Colour: White | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
| Social behaviour: Territorial? | Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive | Elementary unit: Solitary/pair |
A peculiarity observed by us is that White-faced Heron are sometimes sticking around a kangaroo carcass, e.g. by a roadside. If not scavenging, the only other possibility is that they are looking for maggots to pick off the carcass.
This White-faced Heron was waiting for the annoying car to pass before
getting back to a kangaroo carcass in the ditch; the bird was
seen at this spot consistently for weeks
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2011]
Amid much squawking, one White-faced Heron is chasing away another
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2014]
White-faced Heron perched on an old trunk of a mangrove
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, March 2015]
This White-faced Heron is giving a view of its kinked tongue
[Urunga board walk, Urunga Heads, NSW, March 2015]
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Food, Diet |
All egrets and herons prey on aquatic creatures in fresh water or estuaries (fish, frogs, snakes, crustaceans). We have observed a White-faced Herons emptying tadpoles out of an ornamental pond over the course of at least a week.
Near-frontal view of a White-faced Heron taking a freshwater shrimp
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Paroo River, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]
Near-dorsal view of a White-faced Heron taking a freshwater shrimp
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Paroo River, Eulo, QLD, June 2022]
White-faced Heron taking a salt crab
[Old Bar, NSW, July 2013]
This White-faced Heron was apparently using Soldier Crabs to flush prey
- it put up with being nipped on the feet at times, but did not seem to
take any of the crabs (photo courtesy of C. Charles)
[Narooma, NSW, May 2013]
White-faced Heron taking a lizard (photo courtesy of C. Booker)
[Thornlands, Redlands, QLD, June 2013]
White-faced Herons can sometimes be seen hunting in fast-flowing water
[Inverell, NSW, January 2017]
"Listen, mate, do you want those frogs taken out of your bathtub or not?"
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2018]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement 
are welcome.
| wfheron_20200313.m4a | (NW NSW) | Contact call? | © MD | |
| wfheron_20210428.m4a | (NW NSW) | Warning call? | © MD | |
| wfheron_20200313_2.m4a | (NW NSW) | Warning call? | © MD | |
| wfheron_20160727.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Alarm call? (human) | © MD | |
| wfheron_20160727_1.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Alarm call? (human) | © MD | |
| wfheron_20160727_4.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Alarm calls? (human) | © MD | |
| wfheron_20160727_5.mp3 | (NW NSW) | Alarm calls? (human) | © MD | |
| wfheron_20201110.m4a | (NW NSW) | Arrival (pair) | © MD | |
| wfheron_20150327.m4a | (NE NSW) | Two interacting | © MD | |
| wfheron_20230318.mp3 | (NW NSW) | ? | © MD |
More White-faced Heron sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.