BIRDS I HAVE MET 17. The white-faced heron

Forest and Bird, Volume 14, Issue 5, 1 February 1983, Page 32

BIRDS I HAVE MET 17. The white-faced heron

By

Avis Acres

THE WHITE-FACED HERON is an elegant bird with bluish grey plumage, a white forehead and chin, with white around the eye, and bronze breast feathers. Its under surface is light grey. It has distinctive long grey plumes on its back, a black bill and wing quills, a dark-grey tail, and greenish yellow legs. When it perches on a fence post this heron is often seen hunched up with the long neck tucked between the shoulders. Its flight is slow and graceful, with the neck outstretched. Up until 40 years ago this Australian species was seldom seen in New Zealand, but nowit is quite common in both islands

in coastal districts. These birds are plentiful on farms in the Horowhenua district. I once counted 12 feeding together by a stream on a farm near Otaki. White-faced herons build straggly, insecure nests of twigs high up in the tops of tall trees. I watched two of them nest building at the top of a huge pine tree and wondered how the poor chicks managed to stay safely in such a flimsy-looking home. Both parents incubate the eggs, which are pale bluish green. Three to five are laid about June to December and take 25 days to incubate. The nestlings are awkward, ungainly-

looking creatures, but are probably perfect specimens in their parents’ eyes. I know a certain family in Levin who have no love for white-faced herons. Unfortunately they have very tall trees in their garden and a large goldfish pond. Some years ago a pair of herons flew over the garden, discovered the tall pine trees and the goldfish pond, and decided they had found the perfect nesting site, with fresh fish and frogs on their doorstep, so to speak. Year after year they return to raise another family, but they do not receive a warm welcome. By the time the family is reared the goldfish pond is sadly depleted and has to be restocked each season. White-faced herons are a common sight in Tauranga, feeding on the mud flats at low tide and on beaches. They also favour lakes and mangrove swamps. They feed on small fishes, including whitebait, shrimps, insects, crabs, and frogs. When landing on its nest the heron makes a gutteral ‘‘sraaw’’ ending in a repeated ‘‘sow-gow-gow’’. When it is frightened it gives a_highpitched call. In autumn white-faced herons sometimes gather in large flocks. Over 80 have been seen together in mangrove swamps in a Kaipara creek and in marsh land at Manukau.