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Heron
The Herons are the long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family
Ardeidae, with 64 recognised species, some of which are referred to as
Herons
egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera Botaurus and Temporal range: 55–0 Ma[1]
Ixobrychus are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the zigzag heron or PreЄ Є OS D C P T J K Pg N
zigzag bittern in the monotypic genus Zebrilus, form a monophyletic group
within the Ardeidae. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the
herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or
have decorative plumes. Although egrets have the same build as herons, they
tend to be smaller. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks.

The classification of the individual heron/egret species is fraught with

difficulty, and no clear consensus exists about the correct placement of many
species into either of the two major genera, Ardea and Egretta. Similarly,
the relationships of the genera in the family are not completely resolved.
However, one species formerly considered to constitute a separate
monotypic family, the Cochlearidae or 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,
Purple and grey herons (Ardea
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
purpurea and A. cinerea) in Mangaon,
have powder down. Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, Maharashtra, India.
while others, notably the bitterns, use reed beds. Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Contents Class: Aves
Description Order: Pelecaniformes
Distribution and habitat
Family: Ardeidae
Behaviour and ecology
Diet Leach, 1820
Breeding Genera
Name
About 21 extant, see text
Taxonomy and systematics
References
Further reading
External links

Description
Global distribution of herons

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The herons are medium- to Synonyms

large-sized birds with long legs
Cochlearidae
and necks. They exhibit very little
sexual dimorphism in size. The
smallest species is usually considered the little bittern, which can measure
under 30 cm (12 in) in length, although all the species in the Ixobrychus genus
are small and many broadly overlap in size. The largest species of heron is the
The neck of this yellow bittern is goliath heron, which stands up to 152 cm (60 in) tall. The necks are able to
fully retracted. kink in an S-shape, due to the modified shape of the cervical vertebrae, of
which they have 20–21. The neck is able to retract and extend, and is retracted
during flight, unlike most other long-necked birds. The neck is longer in the
day herons than the night herons and bitterns. The legs are long and strong and in almost every species are unfeathered
from the lower part of the tibia (the exception is the zigzag heron). In flight, the legs and feet are held backward. The feet
of herons have long, thin toes, with three forward-pointing ones and one pointing backward.[2]

The bill is generally long and harpoon-like. It can vary from extremely fine, as
in the agami heron, to thick as in the grey heron. The most atypical bill is
owned by the boat-billed heron, which has a broad, thick bill. The bill, as well
as other bare parts of the body, is usually yellow, black, or brown in colour,
although this can vary during the breeding season. The wings are broad and
long, exhibiting 10 or 11 primary feathers (the boat-billed heron has only nine),
15–20 secondaries. and 12 rectrices (10 in the bitterns). The feathers of the The Pacific reef heron has two
herons are soft and the plumage is usually blue, black, brown, grey, or white, colour morphs, the light and the
and can often be strikingly complex. Amongst the day herons, little sexual dark.
dimorphism in plumage is seen (except in the pond-herons); differences
between the sexes are the rule for the night herons and smaller bitterns. Many
species also have different colour morphs.[2] In the Pacific reef heron, both dark and light colour morphs exist, and the
percentage of each morph varies geographically. White morphs only occur in areas with coral beaches.[3]

Distribution and habitat

The herons are a widespread family with a cosmopolitan distribution. They
exist on all continents except Antarctica, and are present in most habitats
except the coldest extremes of the Arctic, extremely high mountains, and the
driest deserts. Almost all species are associated with water; they are essentially
nonswimming waterbirds that feed on the margins of lakes, rivers, swamps,
ponds, and the sea. They are predominantly found in lowland areas, although
some species live in alpine areas, and the majority of species occurs in the
tropics.[2]

The herons are a highly mobile family, with most species being at least partially Lava herons are endemic to the
Galápagos Islands, where they feed
migratory. Some species are partially migratory, for example the grey heron,
on fish and crabs in the intertidal
which is mostly sedentary in Britain, but mostly migratory in Scandinavia.
and mangrove areas.
Birds are particularly inclined to disperse widely after breeding, but before the
annual migration, where the species is colonial, searching out new feeding
areas and reducing the pressures on feeding grounds near the colony. The migration typically occurs at night, usually as
individuals or in small groups.[2]

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Behaviour and ecology

Diet
The herons and bitterns are carnivorous. The members of this family are
mostly associated with wetlands and water, and feed on a variety of live aquatic
prey. Their diet includes a wide variety of aquatic animals, including fish,
reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, molluscs, and aquatic insects. Individual
species may be generalists or specialise in certain prey types, such as the
yellow-crowned night heron, which specialises in crustaceans, particularly
crabs.[4] Many species also opportunistically take larger prey, including birds
and bird eggs, rodents, and more rarely carrion. Even more rarely, herons
eating acorns, peas, and grains have been reported, but most vegetable matter
consumed is accidental.[2]

The most common hunting A great egret manipulating its prey,

technique is for the bird to sit a lizard, prior to swallowing
motionless on the edge of or
standing in shallow water and to
wait until prey comes within range. Birds may either do this from an upright
posture, giving them a wider field of view for seeing prey, or from a crouched
position, which is more cryptic and means the bill is closer to the prey when it
is located. Having seen prey, the head is moved from side to side, so that the
Black herons holding wings out to heron can calculate the position of the prey in the water and compensate for
form an umbrella-like canopy under
refraction, and then the bill is used to spear the prey.[2]
which to hunt
In addition to sitting and waiting,
herons may feed more actively.
They may walk slowly, around or less than 60 paces a minute, snatching prey
when it is observed. Other active feeding behaviours include foot stirring and
probing, where the feet are used to flush out hidden prey.[5] The wings may be
used to frighten prey (or possibly attract it to shade) or to reduce glare; the
most extreme example of this is exhibited by the black heron, which forms a
full canopy with its wings over its body.[6]

Some species of heron, such as the little egret and grey heron, have been
Tricoloured heron fishing, using
documented using bait to lure prey to within striking distance. Herons may use
wings to create shade
items already in place, or actively add items to the water to attract fish such as
the banded killifish. Items used may be man-made, such as bread;[7]
alternatively, striated herons in the Amazon have been watched repeatedly dropping seeds, insects, flowers, and leaves
into the water to catch fish.[8]

Three species, the black-headed heron, whistling heron, and especially the cattle egret, are less tied to watery
environments and may feed far away from water. Cattle egrets improve their foraging success by following large grazing
animals, catching insects flushed by their movement. One study found that the success rate of prey capture increased 3.6
times over solitary foraging.[9]

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Breeding
While the family exhibits a range of breeding strategies, overall, the herons are
monogamous and mostly colonial. Most day herons and night herons are
colonial, or partly colonial depending on circumstances, whereas the bitterns
and tiger herons are mostly solitary nesters. Colonies may contain several
species, as well as other species of waterbirds. In a study of little egrets and
cattle egrets in India, the majority of the colonies surveyed contained both
species.[10] Nesting is seasonal in temperate species; in tropical species, it may
be seasonal (often coinciding with the rainy season) or year-round. Even in
year-round breeders, nesting intensity varies throughout the year. Tropical
herons typically have only one breeding season per year, unlike some other
tropical birds which may raise up to three broods a year.[2]

Courtship usually takes part on the nest. Males arrive first and begin the
building of the nest, where they display to attract females. During courtship,
the male employs a stretch display and uses erectile neck feathers; the neck The larger bitterns, like this
area may swell. The female risks an aggressive attack if she approaches too American bittern, are solitary
soon and may have to wait up to four days.[11] In colonial species, displays breeders. To advertise for mates,
involve visual cues, which can include adopting postures or ritual displays, males use loud, characteristic calls,
referred to as booming.
whereas in solitary species, auditory cues, such as the deep booming of the
bitterns, are important. The exception to this is the boat-billed heron, which
pairs up away from the nesting site. Having paired, they continue to build the nest in almost all species, although in the
little bittern and least bittern, only the male works on the nest.[2]

Some ornithologists have reported observing female herons attaching themselves to impotent mates, then seeking sexual
gratification elsewhere.[2]

The nests of herons are usually found near or above water. They are typically placed in vegetation, although the nests of a
few species have been found on the ground where suitable trees of shrubs are unavailable.[2][10] Trees are used by many
species, and here they may be placed high up from the ground, whereas species living in reed beds may nest very close to
the ground.[2]

Generally, herons lay between three and seven eggs. Larger clutches are reported in the smaller bitterns and more rarely
some of the larger day herons, and single-egg clutches are reported for some of the tiger herons. Clutch size varies by
latitude within species, with individuals in temperate climates laying more eggs than tropical ones. On the whole, the eggs
are glossy blue or white, with the exception being the large bitterns, which lay olive-brown eggs.[2]

Name
The word heron first appeared in the English language around 1300, originating from Old French hairon, eron (12th
century), earlier hairo (11th century), from Frankish haigiro or from Proto-Germanic *haigrô, *hraigrô.[12]

Herons are also known as shitepokes /ˈʃaɪtpoʊk/, or euphemistically as shikepokes or shypokes. Webster's Dictionary
suggests that herons were given this name because of their habit of defecating when flushed.[13]

The 1971 Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary describes the use of shitepoke for the small green heron of
North America (Butorides virescens) as originating in the United States, citing a published example from 1853. The OED
also observes that shiterow or shederow are terms used for herons, and also applied as derogatory terms meaning a thin,

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weakly person. This name for a heron is found in a list of gamebirds in a royal decree of James VI (1566–1625) of
Scotland. The OED speculates that shiterow is a corruption of shiteheron.[14]

Another former name was heronshaw or hernshaw, derived from Old French heronçeau. Corrupted to handsaw, this
name appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet.[15] A possible further corruption took place in the Norfolk Broads, where the
heron is often referred to as a harnser.

Taxonomy and systematics

Analyses of the skeleton, mainly the skull, suggested that the Ardeidae could be split into a diurnal and a
crepuscular/nocturnal group which included the bitterns. From DNA studies and skeletal analyses focusing more on
bones of body and limbs, this grouping has been revealed as incorrect.[16] Rather, the similarities in skull morphology
reflect convergent evolution to cope with the different challenges of daytime and nighttime feeding. Today, it is believed
that three major groups can be distinguished,[17][18] which are (from the most primitive to the most advanced):

tiger herons and the boatbill

bitterns
day herons and egrets, and night herons
The night herons could warrant separation as subfamily Nycticoracinae, as it was traditionally done. However, the
position of some genera (e.g. Butorides or Syrigma) is unclear at the moment, and molecular studies have until now
suffered from a small number of studied taxa. Especially, the relationships among the Ardeinae subfamily are very badly
resolved. The arrangement presented here should be considered provisional.

A 2008 study suggests that this family belongs to the Pelecaniformes.[19] In response to these findings, the International
Ornithological Congress recently reclassified Ardeidae and their sister taxa Threskiornithidae under the order
Pelecaniformes instead of the previous order of Ciconiiformes.[20]

Subfamily Tigriornithinae

Genus Cochlearius – boat-billed heron

Genus Tigrisoma – typical tiger herons (three species)
Genus Tigriornis – white-crested tiger heron
Genus Zonerodius – forest bittern
Subfamily Botaurinae

Genus Zebrilus – zigzag heron

Genus Ixobrychus – small bitterns (eight living species, one recently extinct)
Genus Botaurus – large bitterns (four species)
Subfamily Ardeinae

Genus Zeltornis (fossil)

Genus Nycticorax – typical night herons (two living species, four recently extinct; includes Nyctanassa)
Genus Nyctanassa – American night herons (one living species, one recently extinct)
Genus Gorsachius – Asian and African night herons (four species)
Genus Butorides – green-backed herons (three species; sometimes included in Ardea)
Genus Agamia – Agami heron
Genus Pilherodius – capped heron
Genus Ardeola – pond herons (six species)
Genus Bubulcus – cattle egrets (one or two species, sometimes included in Ardea)
Genus Proardea (fossil)

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Genus Ardea – typical herons (11–17 species)

Genus Syrigma – whistling heron
Genus Egretta – typical egrets (7–13 species)
Genus undetermined

Easter Island heron, Ardeidae gen. et sp. indet. (prehistoric)

Fossil herons of unresolved affiliations

Calcardea (Paleocene)
Xenerodiops (Early Oligocene of Fayyum, Egypt)
"Anas" basaltica (Late Oligocene of Varnsdorf, Czech Republic)
Ardeagradis
Proardeola – possibly same as Proardea
Matuku otagoense (Early Miocene of Otago, New Zealand)
Other prehistoric and fossil species are included in the respective genus accounts. In addition, Proherodius is a disputed
fossil which was variously considered a heron or one of the extinct long-legged waterfowl, the Presbyornithidae. It is only
known from a sternum; a tarsometatarsus assigned to it actually belongs to the paleognath Lithornis vulturinus.

Bare-throated tiger heron (Tigrisoma Great bittern (Botaurus stellaris)

mexicanum)

Eastern great egret (Ardea modesta) The Wounded Heron by George

Frederic Watts, 1837 (Watts Gallery)

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References
1. McKilligan, Neil (2005). Herons, Egrets and Bitterns: Their Biology and Conservation in Australia (https://books.googl
e.com/books?id=fjfDgtI7z1MC&pg=PA2&lpg=PA2&dq=oldest+heron+eocene&source=bl&ots=CQSAJWjKiN&sig=YV
UaPGRPIg-BR_WFJ0TASrWXJFc&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiKwpPY0pXZAhUBpFkKHQdvC40Q6AEwAXoECBI
QAQ#v=onepage&q=oldest%20heron%20eocene&f=false). CSIRO Publishing. p. 2. ISBN 9780643091337.
ISSN 1447-8781 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1447-8781). Retrieved 8 February 2018.
2. Martínez-Vilalta, Albert; Motis, Anna (1992). "Family Ardeidae (herons)". In del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew; Sargatal,
Jordi. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Ostriches to Ducks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. pp. 376–403.
ISBN 978-84-87334-10-8.
3. Itoh, Singi (1991). "Geographical Variation of the Plumage Polymorphism in the eastern reef heron (Egretta sacra)" (h
ttp://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v093n02/p0383-p0389.pdf) (PDF). The Condor. 93 (2): 383–389.
doi:10.2307/1368954 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1368954). JSTOR 1368954 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1368954).
4. Watts, Bryan (1988). "Foraging Implications of Food Usage Patterns in yellow-browned night-herons" (http://sora.un
m.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v090n04/p0860-p0865.pdf) (PDF). The Condor. 90 (4): 860–865.
doi:10.2307/1368843 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1368843). JSTOR 1368843 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1368843).
5. Meyerriecks, Andrew (1966). "Additional Observations on "Foot-Stirring" Feeding Behavior in herons" (http://sora.un
m.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v083n03/p0471-p0472.pdf) (PDF). The Auk. 83 (3): 471–472.
doi:10.2307/4083060 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F4083060). JSTOR 4083060 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4083060).
6. Delacour, J (1946). "Under-Wing Fishing of the black heron, Melanophoyx ardesiaca" (http://sora.unm.edu/sites/defau
lt/files/journals/auk/v063n03/p0441-p0442.pdf) (PDF). The Auk. 63 (3): 441–442. doi:10.2307/4080141 (https://doi.or
g/10.2307%2F4080141). JSTOR 4080141 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4080141).
7. Post, R.; Post, C.; F. Walsh (2009). "Little egret (Egretta garzetta) and grey heron (Ardea cinerea) Using Bait for
Fishing in Kenya". Waterbirds. 32 (3): 450–452. doi:10.1675/063.032.0311
(https://doi.org/10.1675%2F063.032.0311).
8. Robinson, S. (1994). "Use of bait and lures by green-backed herons in Amazonian Peru" (http://sora.unm.edu/sites/de
fault/files/journals/wilson/v106n03/p0567-p0569.pdf) (PDF). Wilson Bulletin. 106 (3): 569–571. JSTOR 4163462 (http
s://www.jstor.org/stable/4163462).
9. Dinsmore, James J. (1973). "Foraging Success of Cattle Egrets, Bubulcus ibis". American Midland Naturalist. 89 (1):
242–246. doi:10.2307/2424157 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2424157). JSTOR 2424157 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/2
424157).
10. Hilaluddin, Aisha S.; Khan, A.; Yahya, H.; Kaul, R. (2006). "Nesting ecology of Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets in
Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, India" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110610155611/http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publicati
ons/forktail/22pdfs/Hilaludin-CattleEgrets.pdf) (PDF). Forktail. 22. Archived from the original (http://www.orientalbirdcl
ub.org/publications/forktail/22pdfs/Hilaludin-CattleEgrets.pdf) (PDF) on 2011-06-10.
11. Kushlan, J. A. (2011). The terminology of courtship, nesting, feeding and maintenance in herons (http://www.heroncon
servation.org/resources/Behavior_Terminology.pdf). heronconservation.org
12. Harper, Douglas. "heron" (http://www.etymonline.com/?term=heron). Online Etymology Dictionary.
13. "Shitepoke" and "Shikepoke" entries, Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged,
Philip Babcock Gove, Editor in Chief, G. and C. Mirriam Company, 1971 ISBN 0-87779-001-9
14. "Shitepoke" and "shiterow" entries, Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1971,
Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 76-188038
15. Armitage, Simon (2009). The Poetry of Birds (https://books.google.com/books?id=0N9h8IE70AAC&pg=PT404).
Penguin. p. 404. ISBN 0141941863.
16. McCracken, Kevin G.; Sheldon, Frederick H. (1998). "Molecular and osteological heron phylogenies: sources of
incongruence" (http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v115n01/p0127-p0141.pdf) (PDF). Auk. 115: 127–
141. doi:10.2307/4089118 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F4089118). JSTOR 4089118 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/40891
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17. Sheldon, Frederick H.; McCracken, Kevin G.; Stuebing, Keeley D. (1995). "Phylogenetic relationships of the zigzag
heron (Zebrilus undulatus) and white-crested bittern (Tigriornis leucolophus) estimated by DNA-DNA hybridization" (ht
tp://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v112n03/p0672-p0679.pdf) (PDF). Auk. 112 (3): 672–679.
JSTOR 4088682 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/4088682).
18. Sheldon, Frederick H.; Jones, Clare E.; McCracken, Kevin G. (2000). "Relative Patterns and Rates of Evolution in
Heron Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA" (https://web.archive.org/web/20060907220949/http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/~ke
vin_mccracken/reprints/mbe-17-437.pdf) (PDF). Molecular Biology and Evolution. 17 (3): 437–450.
doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a026323 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Foxfordjournals.molbev.a026323).
PMID 10723744 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10723744). Archived from the original (http://mercury.bio.uaf.e
du/~kevin_mccracken/reprints/mbe-17-437.pdf) (PDF) on 2006-09-07.
19. Hackett SJ, Kimball RT, Reddy S, Bowie RC, Braun EL, Braun MJ, Chojnowski JL, Cox WA, Han KL, Harshman J,
Huddleston CJ, Marks BD, Miglia KJ, Moore WS, Sheldon FH, Steadman DW, Witt CC, Yuri T (2008). "A
Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History". Science. 320 (5884): 1763–1768.
doi:10.1126/science.1157704 (https://doi.org/10.1126%2Fscience.1157704). PMID 18583609 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.ni
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20. Gill, F. and Donsker, D. (eds). (2010). Family Links (http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ioc-lists/family-links/). IOC World
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Further reading
Hancock, James & Elliott, Hugh (1978) The Herons of the World; with paintings by Robert Gillmor and Peter Hayman,
and drawings by Robert Gillmor. London: London Editions ISBN 0-905562-05-4; New York: Harper & Row ISBN 0-06-
011759-1

External links
HeronConservation (http://www.heronconservation.org/) Heron Specialist Group of IUCN
Heron videos (http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/herons-ardeidae) on the Internet Bird Collection

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