White-faced Heron (Ardea novaehollandiae)

White-faced Heron (Ardea novaehollandiae)

Location:  Kaikoura Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand

This is the White-faced Heron, the most common heron in New Zealand.  This individual was wading -- apparently looking for a meal -- in the shallows at the edge of the fur seal colony on the Kaikoura Peninsula on the eastern cost of New Zealand's South Island.

According to information about this species on NZBirds.com:

White-faced herons can be found anywhere where there is water, from tidal mudflats and coastal reefs to moist grasslands and gardens. They feed on a wide variety of prey, including fish, insects and amphibians. Food is obtained in a variety of ways, such as walking and disturbing prey, searching among damp crevices or simply standing in the water and watching for movement.