These Herons are quite common in our area and are also found throughout the Australian mainland, Tasmania, and most coastal islands where there is water, they also occur in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and New Zealand.
Habitats include both fresh and salty wetlands, farm dams, pastures, grasslands, crops, shores, salt marsh, tidal mudflats, boat-harbours, beaches, golf courses or even garden fishponds.
They feed on small prey such as fish, insects and amphibians using a variety of techniques to find food including standing still and waiting for prey movement, walking slowly in shallow water, wing flicking and foot raking.
Breeding season is October to December, the nest is an untidy structure of sticks placed fairly high up in a tree in which 3 or 4 eggs are laid. During the breeding season pinkish-brown or bronze plumes appear on the fore neck and breast, with blue-grey plumes appearing on the back, you can see these in the photo below, the plumes disappear when breeding is finished.