Heron: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

This is an article about the family of birds named Herons. See Heron (disambiguation) for other usages.

Herons
Snowy Egret
Scientific classification
: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Ciconiiformes Family*: Ardeidae
Genera
Ardea  Zebrilus  Philherodias  Tigrisoma  Ardeola  Bubulcus  Egretta  Agamia  Butorides  Tigriornis  Tigrisoma  Gorsachius  Syrigma  Zonerodius  Nycticorax
* see also: Bittern

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
    • Capped Heron, Pilherodius pileatus
  • Genus Butorides
    • Green Heron or Green-backed Heron, Butorides virescens
    • Striated Heron, Butorides striatus or Ardea striatus
  • Genus Ardeola
    • 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
  • Genus Bubulcus
    • Cattle Egret, Bubulcus ibis or Ardea ibis
  • 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
    • Agami Heron, Agamia agami
  • Genus Tigrisoma
    • Bare-throated Tiger Heron, Tigrisoma mexicanum
    • Fasciated Tiger Heron, Tigrisoma fasciatum
    • Rufescent Tiger Heron, Tigrisoma lineatum
  • Genus Tigriornis
    • White-crested Tiger Heron, Tigriornis leucolophus
  • Genus Zonerodius
    • New Guinea Tiger Heron, Zonerodius heliosylus
  • Genus Zebrilus
    • Zigzag Heron, Zebrilus undulatus
  • Genus Syrigma
    • Whistling Heron, Syrigma sibilatrix
  • Genus Nycticorax
    • Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax violaceus
    • Black-crowned Night Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
    • White-backed Night Heron, Nycticorax leuconotus
  • Genus Gorsachius
    • Nankeen Night Heron or Rufous Night Heron, Gorsachius melanolophus or Nycticorax caledonicus
    • White-eared Night Heron, Gorsachius magnificus
    • Japanese Night Heron, Gorsachius goisagi
    • Malayan Night Heron, Gorsachius melanolophus
  • 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