Goliath Heron vs White-necked Heron

Goliath Heron

Ardea goliath

Huge4.5 kgWetland

It is the world's largest living heron (though the extinct Bennu heron was larger). The height of the goliath heron is 120–152 cm (3 ft 11 in – 5 ft 0 in), the wingspan is 185–230 cm (6 ft 1 in – 7 ft 7 in) and the weight is 4–5 kg (8.8–11.0 lb). The tarsus measures from 21.2 to 25.5 cm (8.3 to 10.0 in) and the wing chord averages around 60.7 cm (23.9 in) in length. The culmen measures from 18 to 20 cm (7.1 to 7.9 in), while the bill from the gape measures around 24 cm (9.4 in). In flight it has a slow and rather ponderous look and, unlike some other herons, its legs are not held horizontally.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0

White-necked Heron

Ardea pacifica

Large881 gWetland

The white-necked heron is a large, diurnal, long-legged waterbird. It is mostly slate-grey to black with distinctive black spots in the centre of the lower fore-neck and throat. During the breeding season plum-coloured nuptial plumes are present on the back and breast. The flight is stately, with slow steady wing-beats. The length is 76–106 cm (30–42 in), wingspan 147–160 cm (58–63 in) and weight 860 g (30 oz). The bill is black and the facial skin is commonly blue or yellow. The eyes are green and the legs and feet black.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Wayne Butterworth · CC BY 3.0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Goliath Heron and White-necked Heron.