Egretta picata
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The pied heron (Egretta picata), also known as the pied egret is a bird found in coastal and subcoastal areas of monsoonal northern Australia as well as some parts of Wallacea and New Guinea. The species was originally described by ornithologist John Gould in 1845. Recent taxonomists put this species in the genus Egretta. There are no recognised subspecies.
It is a small heron, 43–55 cm (17–22 in) long, with dark slaty wings, body, and crested head, with a white throat and neck. The appearance is similar to the white-necked heron. Males (247–280 g (8.7–9.9 oz)) are heavier than females (225–242 g (7.9–8.5 oz)), but the two are similar in appearance.
Immature birds lack the crest as well as the dark colouring on the head and may look like small versions of the white-necked heron. The juveniles were once classified as a separate species. Its habitat mainly comprises a range of wetlands and wet grasslands. The call of the pied heron is a loud 'awk' or 'ohrk' in flight. Soft cooing is given around the nest. Little else is known about vocalisations. Breeding takes place from February... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Litchfield National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Healesville Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Berlin Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 3 | Taronga Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Crocodylus Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Melbourne Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Perth Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Frankfurt Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 8 | Adelaide Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 10 | Aquarium Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 11 | Birdworld Kuranda | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | Kuranda Koala Gardens | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | The Lair | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pied Heron sighting in Daintree National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 197th most-seen of the 208 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pied Heron in Daintree National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pied Heron sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Pied Heron sightings, Daintree National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Kakadu National Park (Australia, about 40%) and Litchfield National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same genus: Egretta
The closest relatives of the Pied Heron that you can see in Daintree National Park (genus Egretta, Small Egrets and Herons) are White-faced Heron (about 20%), Little Egret (about 20%) and intermediate egret (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pied Heron is recorded against all the birds logged in Daintree National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
