Pied heron
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
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Infraclass
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Family
Genus
SPECIES
Egretta 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.

Appearance

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.

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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.

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Distribution

Geography

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

Pied heron habitat map
Pied heron habitat map
Pied heron
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Habits and Lifestyle

Seasonal behavior
Bird's call

Diet and Nutrition

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.

Mating Habits

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.

Population

References

1. Pied heron Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_heron
2. Pied heron on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697037/155512365
3. Xeno-canto bird call - https://xeno-canto.org/377240

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