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GREAT-BILLED HERON FACTS |
Description
The Great-billed Heron is a large heron. It is grey with long heavy bill. It has some long lighter grey plumes on head upper breast and shoulders giving a streaked appearance. The eye is yellow, with some yellow skin surrounding it. Young birds are similar to adults but browner and do not have the lighter plumes
Size
105cm - 115cm
Habitat
river systems, mangroves, coral reefs, mudflats, offshore islands
Food
fish, crustaceans, frogs, insects
Breeding
Lays two pale blue or pale green eggs in large nest made of sticks in tree usually overhanging water
Range
coastal areas of northern Australia from north west of Western Australia, Northern Territory, around the Gulf of Carpentaria and along the eastern coast of Queensland. It is also found in southeast Asia and Papua New Guinea
Credits:
Map is from Atlas of Living Australia website at https://biocache.ala.org.au licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Classification
| Class: | Aves | | Order: | Ciconiiformes | | Family: | Ardeidae | | Genus: | Ardea | | Species: | sumatrana | | Common Name: | Great-billed Heron |
Relatives in same Genus
Great Egret (A. alba)
Cattle Egret (A. ibis)
Intermediate Egret (A. intermedia)
Pacific Heron (A. pacifica)
Pied Heron (A. picata)
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