White-faced Heron
Egretta novaehollandiae
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicaniformes)
- FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
- GenusEgretta (Small Egrets and Herons)
- SpeciesEgretta novaehollandiae (White-faced Heron)
The white-faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae) also known as the white-fronted heron, and incorrectly as the grey heron, or blue crane, is a common bird throughout most of Australasia, including New Guinea, the islands of Torres Strait, Indonesia, New Zealand, and all but the driest areas of Australia. It is a medium-sized heron, pale, slightly bluish-grey, with yellow legs and white facial markings. It can be found almost anywhere near shallow water, fresh or salt, and although it is prompt to depart the scene on long, slow-beating wings if disturbed, it will boldly raid suburban fish ponds. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a White-faced Heron sighting in Springbrook National Park, based on 15 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Springbrook National Park
Little Egret
Egretta garzetta
intermediate egret
Egretta intermedia
White-necked Heron
Ardea pacifica
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Nankeen Night-Heron
Nycticorax caledonicus
Striated Heron
Butorides striata
Australian White Ibis
Threskiornis molucca
Straw-necked Ibis
Threskiornis spinicollis
Australian Pelican
Pelecanus conspicillatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a White-faced Heron in Springbrook National Park?
About 7% of wildlife watchers report a White-faced Heron sighting in Springbrook National Park, based on 15 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see White-faced Heron in Springbrook National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for White-faced Heron in Springbrook National Park in our monthly data.