‘Headlights’ the give away for big herons
IDENTIFYING birds can be difficult at times, particularly if they are away from their usual haunts.
Some time ago I watched two large birds circling over the bushland near Anglesea.
At first I thought they were raptors, yet the broad wings and general shape was not that of an eagle. A closer view through binoculars gave the answer — they were whitenecked herons.
Apparently they had been feeding in a local wetland, but decided to move on, and were gaining height to fly over the hills.
In other situations, it would be hard to mistake the whitenecked heron for any other bird, or miss seeing it if it is present.
As Charles Belcher wrote in his classic bird book — “(it) may be distinguished half a mile away” by its distinctive plumage.
Its head and neck are white, usually with lines of black spots from the chin down to the breast.
The wings and body are slatey black, often with a hint of maroon colouring.
In flight, they display white “headlight” patches on the leading joint of the wing.
Whether we should class them as a resident species or simply a visitor is hard to be sure.
There are only a handful of breeding records around Geelong, and it is likely most of the birds we see here nest elsewhere.
White-necked herons are usually solitary birds, most frequently seen patrolling shallow, freshwater wetlands.
They feed on frogs, small fish and similar aquatic creatures, taken with a swift jab of the long, straight beak.