White-necked HeronScientific name: Ardea pacifica
Meaning of name: Ardea is Latin for heron. Pacifica refers to the Pacific Ocean.
Aboriginal name: Djilimilyan (chil’ee’mill’yawn).
Distribution: Widespread across Australia but absent from the dry interior.
Description: Up to 106cm long with a 160cm wingspan.
Notes: The furthest distance recorded by the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme for this species of bird to travel is 248km. The oldest bird recorded was recovered 1 year 1.3 months after being banded (information as at 13 June 2012). These figures seem small for a bird of this size but we must take into account that there have only been 6 records made.
References: Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Various contributors.
What Bird is That? Neville W Cayley. 1978
Aboriginal names of bird species in south-west Western Australia, with suggestions for their adoption into common usage. Ian Abbott. 2009. Conservation Science Western Australia Journal. Volume 7 No 2 http://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/76-publications-and-resources/103-conservation-science-wa-journal
Australian Bird and Bat Banding Scheme http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/science/abbbs/abbbs-search.html
This photograph was not taken in the reserves of interest to FQPB. Photograph courtesy of B Wykes.
