This is an article about the family of birds named Herons. For other things named Heron, see Heron (disambiguation)
Herons | ||||||||||
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Snowy Egret | ||||||||||
Scientific classification | ||||||||||
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† see also: Bittern |
Herons are medium to large long-legged, long-necked wading birds of the family Ardeidae. This is one of the families in the order Ciconiiformes, which also includes other wading bird families:
Ciconiiformes
- Ardeidae herons and bitterns
- Cochlearidae: Boatbill
- Balaenicipitidae Shoebill
- Scopidae Hammerkop
- Ciconiidae: storks
- Threskiornithidae ibises and spoonbills
- Phoenicopteridae flamingos
Although herons resemble other families, such as the storks, ibises and spoonbills, unlike the latter groups, herons fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.
The two Ardeidae genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are named as Bitterns. Some herons, especially the white species, are called egrets.
Herons typically feed in shallow water or marshes, taking fish, frogs or small birds and mammals.
The heron species are:
Genus Ardea
- Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias
- Grey Heron Ardea cinerea
- Goliath Heron Ardea goliath
- Cocoi Heron Ardea cocoi
- White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica
- Black-headed Heron Ardea melanocephala
- Madagascar Heron Ardea humbloti
- White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis
- Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana
- Purple Heron Ardea purpurea
- Great Egret or Great White Egret, Ardea alba
- Capped Heron Pilherodius pileatus
- Green Heron or Green-backed Heron Butorides virescens
- Striated Heron Butorides striatus
- Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii
- Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides
- Chinese Pond-Heron Ardeola bacchus
- Javan Pond-Heron Ardeola speciosa
- Madagascar Pond-Heron Ardeola idae
- Rufous-bellied Heron Ardeola rufiventris
- Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
- Little Egret Egretta garzetta
- Snowy Egret Egretta thula
- Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens
- Pied Heron Egretta picata
- Slaty Egret Egretta vinaceigula
- Black Heron Egretta ardesiaca
- Tricolored Heron Egretta tricolor
- Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia
- White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
- Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea
- Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes
- Eastern Reef-egret Egretta sacra
- Agami Heron Agamia agami
- Bare-throated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma mexicanum
- Fasciated Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma fasciatum
- Rufescent Tiger-Heron Tigrisoma lineatum
- White-crested Tiger-Heron Tigriornis leucolophus
- New Guinea Tiger-Heron Zonerodius heliosylus
- Zigzag Heron Zebrilus undulatus
- Whistling Heron Syrigma sibilatrix
- Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax violaceus
- Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
- Rufous Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus
- White-backed Night-Heron Nycticorax leuconotus
- White-eared Night-Heron Gorsachius magnificus
- Japanese Night-Heron Gorsachius goisagi
- Malayan Night-Heron Gorsachius melanolophus