Pied heron

---

title: "Pied heron" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["egretta", "herons", "birds-of-new-guinea", "birds-of-new-south-wales", "birds-of-the-northern-territory", "birds-of-sulawesi", "birds-of-queensland", "birds-described-in-1845", "taxa-named-by-john-gould"] description: "Species of bird" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_heron" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of bird ::

| status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = | image = Pied Heron - Fogg Dam.jpg | image_caption = At Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve | genus = Egretta | species = picata | authority = (Gould, 1845) | range_map = Egretta picata map.svg | range_map_caption = Distribution. Green: year-round breeding, blue: nonbreeding. | synonyms = *Notophoyx aruensis

• Ardea picata

The 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.

Taxonomy

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Pied_Heron_(Juvenile)_-Fogg_Dam-Middle_Point-Northern_Territory-_Australia.jpg" caption="access-date=25 February 2010}}"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Pied_Heron_feeding_-Fogg_Dam-Middle_Point-Northern_Territory-_Australia.jpg" caption="Pied heron in breeding plumage - Fogg Dam - Middle Point - Northern Territory - Australia"] ::

Description

It is a small heron, 43–55 cm long, with dark slaty wings, body, and crested head, with a white throat and neck. The appearance is similar to the white-necked heron. Males (247–280 g) are heavier than females (225–242 g), but the two are similar in appearance.

Immature birds lack the crest as well as the dark colouring on the head and may look like small versions of the white-necked heron. The juveniles were once classified as a separate species.

Distribution and habitat

Its habitat mainly comprises a range of wetlands and wet grasslands.

Behaviour

Call

The call of the pied heron is a loud 'awk' or 'ohrk' in flight. Soft cooing is given around the nest. Little else is known about vocalisations.

Breeding

Breeding takes place from February to May. It nests in trees above the water, including mangroves, often colonially with other species of heron. 1–2 blue-green eggs are laid in a shallow platform of sticks.

Feeding

It feeds on insects, frogs, crabs, fish and other small aquatic animals. Insects are the most important source of food. It may feed alone or in groups of up to a thousand individuals.

References

Bibliography

• Marchant, S.; & Higgins, P.J. (Coordinators). (2000). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol.1: Ratites to Ducks. Oxford University Press: Melbourne.

References

1. BirdLife International.. (2024). "''Egretta picata''".
2. (2024). "Species factsheet: ''Egretta picata''". BirdLife International.
3. Pizzey, Graham. (1997). "Field Guide to the Birds of Australia". [[HarperCollinsPublishers]].
4. "Pied Heron, ''Egretta picata'', Taxonomy".
5. Kushlan, James Anthony. (2005). "The Herons". [[Oxford University Press]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::