White Faced Heron

Scientific Name Egretta novaehollandiae

Native Yes

Family Ardeidae

Common Weight 550 Grams

Common Height 40 CM

Common Length 67 CM

Identification

The white-faced heron is a tall, elegant, blue-grey bird, usually spotted stalking it prey in most aquatic habitats. Locations found on Waiheke are Mangroves, Anzac Bay, Blackpool and quiet beaches.

The White-Faced Heron is medium-sized blue-grey heron with white face, long dark grey bill, and pale yellow legs. In flight the open wings show a marked contrast between the pale grey fore-wing and dark grey main flight feathers on both the upper and lower surfaces. In flight the white-faced heron usually tucks its head back towards its shoulders in the characteristic heron posture, but it will also fly with the neck out-stretched.

Usually you will hear them when in flight they let out a harsh croak.

It is primarily a bird of rocky shores and estuary mudflats, but can also be found near the shallow edges of lakes up to 500 m altitude, and on farm ponds. Following rain, white-faced herons are often seen in damp pasture and on sports fields, including within urban areas.

Foraging white-faced herons walk slowly with long, controlled steps, watching for any signs of prey, which is grabbed with lightning speed.

Waiheke Wildlife

White Fronted Tern

The white-fronted tern is a medium-sized, long-tailed sea tern commonly around New Zealand coasts. Spotted congregating on Waiheke wharfs such as Matiatia and Orapiu.

Great black-backed gull

The Black-backed gull is a large black-and-white gull with a white head and underparts, black back, yellow bill with a red spot near the tip. Located on Waiheke beaches.

Common Myna

Mynas are stocky brown birds with a shiny black head and shoulders. Commonly found on road sides on Waiheke, usually playing chicken with cars while foraging for food.

Welcome Swallow

Welcome swallows are small fast-flying birds, they are usually seen around waiheke during breeding season between August and February on powerlines, fences and beaches.

Variable Oyster Catcher

The variable oystercatcher is a stocky coastal bird with a long, bright orange bill, it is located on many quiet beaches such as Blackpool, Whakanewha and Anzac bay.

The white-faced heron is a tall, elegant, blue-grey bird usually spotted stalking prey. Locations found on Waiheke are Mangroves, Anzac bay and quiet beaches.

Fantail

The Fantail is a well known NZ bird due to its distinctive fanned tail. Locations found on Waiheke are any well-treed parks, bush walks and even properties.

Magpie

The Magpie is a large black-and-white songbird, It was introduced from Australia. It can be found on Waiheke around farmland and large grass reserves.

Grey Warbler

The Grey Warbler is a tiny olive-grey song bird often heard before seen. Locations on Waiheke are dense woody vegetations. The warbler can be difficult to spot.

Tui

The Tui is a iridescent blue-green honeyeater with two curled white feather tufts on the throat. Locations found on Waiheke are around flaxes feeding off nectar.

Pūkeko

The Pukeko is a large relatively compact rail with a deep blue-violet head, breast and throat and a red bill. Found in swamp/Mangrove areas of Waiheke Island.

NZ Dotterel

The New Zealand Dotterel is a shorebird which breeds on beaches in NZ's North Island. Locations found on Waiheke are Whakanewha, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

Spur-winged Plover

The Spur-winged plover is a large stocky wader with a yellow bill and spurs on each wing, locations found on Waiheke are Blackpool, Maori hill and Whakanewha.

Australasian Gannet

The gannet is a large slender-bodied seabird with mainly white plumage, buff-yellow head and neck. Occassionally seen around Waiheke searching for food in ocean depths.

Sacred Kingfisher

The sacred kingfisher is a distinctive bird with a green-blue back, buff to yellow undersides and a large black bill. they can be found nearby tidal beaches on waiheke.

Black Bird

The black bird is a medium-sized songbird that is entirely black in adult males with a yellow bill. Abundantly found on Waiheke around household properties and trees.

Little Shag

The little shag is a small shag, with a short yellow bill, black feet, a relatively long tail, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around Waiheke…

Pied Stilt

The pied stilt is a dainty wading bird, It is common at wetlands and coastal areas, found on Waiheke at Putiki Bay, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

White-Eye

A small songbird, immediately recognisable by its distinctive white eye-ring. This quick little bird can be found feeding off flax and kowhais or fruit trees on Waiheke.

Spotted Turtle Dove

The spotted dove is a medium-sized, long-tailed dove, with a greyish head and speckled greyish brown upperparts. Found on Waiheke around gardens and the rooster reserve.

Thrush

The thrush is a medium-sized songbird with a speckled brown-on-cream breast, usually heard before it is seen, found in grass reserves, gardens and trees on Waiheke.

Red Billed Gull

The red-billed gull also known as a "Seagull" is common around New Zealand Coasts. Located everywhere on Waiheke beaches where food or bait is readily accessible.

Kaka

The Kaka is a large, olive-brown parrot with grey-white crown, red-orange underwing and deep crimson belly, located in tree covered areas around Onetangi.

Bar-tailed Godwit

The Godwit is a migrant from Alaska, they fly 8-9 days straight to arrive in NZ. They can be found on Waiheke from September - March located at Blackpool.

Pied Shag

This large black-and-white shag is often seen individually or in a group, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around fisherman by the rocks of Waiheke.

Wood Pigeon

The Wood pigeon is a large distinctively-coloured pigeon, it is easy to find on Waiheke due to its size, they are usually perched on powerlines or trees.

Breeding

White-faced herons are usually tree-top dwellers, favouring the tops of large pine trees or macrocarpa growing near water. They have also been known to nest on man-made structures. nests are made out of a flat pile of twigs and sticks in top of trees such as pine and macrocarpa.

3-5 eggs are incubated by both parents.

Breeding season starts as early as June

Food

Small fish, crabs, worms, insects, spiders, mice, lizards, tadpoles and frogs.

Waiheke Locations

Causeway Mangroves – This is usually are great spot for them to find food and nest.

Blackpool Beach – A quiet beach found associating with a wide range of other bird species looking for food.

Anzac Bay – A quiet bay found associating with a wide range of other bird species looking for food.

They are a flying bird so they can be at any beach but choose to stay on quiet beaches/ aquatic areas. The locations above are where I have spotted them and photographed.

These birds can be anywhere in New Zealand not just Waiheke.