- This article is about the long-necked long-legged wading birds. For other uses of this word, see Heron (disambiguation).
Herons are medium to large long-legged, long-necked wading birds of the family Ardeidae, which also includes the egrets and bitterns.
Within the family Ardeidae, all members of the genera, Botaurus and Ixobrychus are classed as bitterns, not herons, however the species sometimes known as egrets are simply white-coloured herons with decorative plumes, and not a biologically distinct group (although one could also define true Egrets as the members of genus Egretta). The classification of the individual heron species is fraught with difficulty, and there is still no clear consensus about the correct placement of many species into either of the two major genera, Ardea and Egretta.
The Boatbill is sometimes classed as a heron, and sometimes given its own family Cochlearidae.
Although herons resemble other families, such as the storks, ibises and spoonbills, unlike the latter groups, herons fly with their necks retracted, not outstretched.
Herons typically feed in shallow water or marshes, taking fish, frogs or small birds and mammals.
ORDER CICONIIFORMES
- Family Ardeidae
- Genus Ardea
- Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias
- Grey Heron, Ardea cinerea
- Goliath Heron, Ardea goliath
- Cocoi Heron, Ardea cocoi
- White-necked Heron or Pacific 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
- Pied Heron, Ardea picata or Egretta picata
- Intermediate Egret, Ardea intermedia or Egretta intermedia
- Swinhoe's Egret or Chinese Egret, Ardea eulophotes or Egretta eulophotes
- Genus Philherodias
- Genus Butorides
- Genus Ardeola
- Genus Bubulcus
- Genus Egretta
- Little Egret, Egretta garzetta or Ardea garzetta
- Snowy Egret, Egretta thula
- Reddish Egret, Egretta rufescens
- Slaty Egret, Egretta vinaceigula
- Black Heron, Egretta ardesiaca
- Tricolored Heron, Egretta tricolor
- White-faced Heron, Egretta novaehollandiae or Ardea novaehollandiae
- Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea
- Eastern Reef Egret, Egretta sacra or Ardea sacra
- Western Reef Heron, Egretta gularis
- Genus Agamia
- Genus Tigrisoma
- Genus Tigriornis
- Genus Zonerodius
- Genus Zebrilus
- Genus Syrigma
- Genus Nycticorax
- Genus Gorsachius
- Genus Botaurus: see bittern
- Genus Ixobrychus: see bittern
- Family Cochlearidae: Boatbill
- Family Balaenicipitidae: Shoebill
- Family Scopidae: Hammerkop
- Family Ciconiidae: storks
- Family Threskiornithidae: ibises and spoonbills
- Family Phoenicopteridae: flamingos
See also
de:Reiher
es:Garza
fr:Héron
zh:鹭属
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