Wildlife
Herons, egrets and bitterns are supreme hunters of fish and other small aquatic prey. Their long necks and strong beaks are capable of delivering a quick, powerful and quite deadly lunge. The preferred method of hunting is to wait patiently at the water's edge or stand in shallow water waiting for prey to come into range, although some take a more active approach, kicking around in the water. In shallow water, their long legs give these birds a considerable advantage over their prey. This is a globally distributed family of wading water birds that breeds on every continent except Antarctica.
Scientific name: Ardeidae
Rank: Family
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Running the gauntlet
Green sea turtle hatchlings rely on strength in numbers to survive the ruthless rufous night-herons.
Green sea turtle hatchlings rely on strength in numbers to survive the ruthless rufous night-herons.
Walking on water
Frogs use an unusual strategy to escape from predatory egrets.
Frogs use an unusual strategy to escape from predatory egrets.
Urban bitterns
Iolo Williams studies the remarkable camouflage of bitterns.
Iolo Williams studies the remarkable camouflage of bitterns at Hendre Lake in Cardiff.
The shading illustrates the diversity of this group - the darker the colour the greater the number of species. Data provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
Grey heron (species)
Bittern (species)
Little egret (species)The following habitats are found across the Herons, egrets and bitterns distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 64 recognised species (some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"). Within Ardeidae, all members of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are referred to as "bitterns", and — including the Zigzag Heron or Zigzag Bittern — are a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. However, egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white and/or have decorative plumes. Although egrets have the same build as herons, they tend to be smaller.
The classification of the individual heron/egret 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. Similarly, the relationship of the genera in the family is not completely resolved. However, one species formerly considered to constitute a separate monotypic family Cochlearidae, the Boat-billed Heron, is now regarded as a member of the Ardeidae.
Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the storks, ibises, spoonbills and cranes, they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched. They are also one of the bird groups that have powder down. Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, while others, notably the bitterns, use reedbeds.
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Estuaries
Lakes and ponds
Marsh
Shallow seas
Rivers and streams
Swamp
Temporary pools
Helpless young
Migration
Carnivorous
Adapted to flying
Egg layer
Parental investment
Predator