Herons are long-legged wading birds, of which there are about 60 species classified in the family Ardeidae. They are common in tropical regions and live near pools, marshes, and swamps where they hunt aquatic animals like frogs and fish. Herons typically stand with their necks bent in an S shape and fly with their legs trailing loosely behind them and their heads held back against their bodies. They nest in colonies called heronries, which are rough platforms of sticks built in bushes or trees near water. Herons are subdivided into typical herons, night herons, and tiger herons. The great blue heron is one of the best-known types of heron. It is recognized by its S-shaped neck and long, stick-like legs.

Where do herons live?

Herons are wading birds that live all over the world, but they are most common in the tropics. They typically eat aquatic animals that they catch while wading quietly in shallow water in places like pools, marshes, and swamps. Herons build nests out of sticks in bushes or trees near water. These nests are usually grouped together in colonies called heronries. Some herons migrate if they breed in northern areas with harsh winters. The great blue heron, for example, lives in Canada and the northern U.S. and will fly south in the winter to find open water.

What do herons look like?

Herons are long-legged wading birds with approximately 60 species, typically found in tropical regions. They have broad wings and stand with their necks bent in an S shape. When flying, herons keep their legs trailing loosely and hold their heads back against their bodies. Herons possess long, straight, sharp-pointed bills used for grasping aquatic animals such as fish and frogs. The great blue heron, a well-known species, has gray-blue wings, white plumes, a long neck that varies from white to gray with rust-red patches, a black crown, long legs, and a yellowish pointed beak.

What do herons eat and how do they catch their food?

Herons, found worldwide but more common in the tropics, are wading birds that eat aquatic animals like frogs and fish. While wading quietly in shallow water, they catch their food using a long, straight, sharp-pointed bill to grasp, rather than impale, their prey. Some herons employ a hunting method known as "canopy feeding," in which they hold their wings forward to create a shaded area in the water, which attracts fish. The green heron drops bait on the water's surface to attract fish. The Great Blue Heron strikes prey with its spear-like bill before swallowing it whole.

How do herons care for their young?

Herons, including those typically called egrets, are wading birds that nest in colonies called heronries, often building rough platforms of sticks in bushes or trees near water. After an elaborate courtship, great blue heron females lay two to seven pale blue eggs in the nest. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, which hatch after 25–30 days. The young will fledge around 60 days after hatching and go off on their own about 30 days later. To increase survivability, herons build nests in colonies, or rookeries, usually in trees, small shrubs, and near the water’s edge. Although most heron rookeries consist of around 50 pairs, the largest can contain 500 or more birds.

What are some different species of herons and how do they differ from each other?

Herons are long-legged wading birds in the family Ardeidae. They are generally classified into typical herons, night herons, and tiger herons. Typical herons, such as the great blue heron ( Ardea herodias ) of North America, are generally large with long legs and necks. The great blue heron can stand almost 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) tall with a wingspan of nearly 2 meters (6.6 feet). The green heron ( Butorides virescens ) is a small heron common in North America. Night herons, such as the black-crowned night heron ( Nycticorax nycticorax ), have shorter legs and thicker bills and are active at night. Tiger herons are shy, solitary birds with barred plumage. An example is the lined tiger heron ( Tigrisoma lineatum ) of South America.

Heron

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Images

Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax).

Illustration of a little blue heron (Egretta caerulea), showing a slender bird with bluish-gray feathers, a long neck, and long legs, walking with its head lowered.

Illustration of a green heron (Butorides virescens) perched on a branch, showing its dark greenish back and wings, chestnut neck, and yellow legs.

Illustration of a black-crowned night heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, showing a stocky bird with pale grayish-white underparts, black crown and back, red eyes, and yellow legs, perched on a branch.

Illustration of a yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea) standing upright, showing its gray and black plumage, long legs, and distinctive pale yellow crown on its head.

Quick Facts

Related Topics:: Egret; typical heron; night heron; tiger heron; heronry

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Heron

bird

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Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a heron?
Herons are long-legged wading birds, of which there are about 60 species classified in the family Ardeidae. They are common in tropical regions and live near pools, marshes, and swamps where they hunt aquatic animals like frogs and fish.

Herons typically stand with their necks bent in an S shape and fly with their legs trailing loosely behind them and their heads held back against their bodies. They nest in colonies called heronries, which are rough platforms of sticks built in bushes or trees near water.

Herons are subdivided into typical herons, night herons, and tiger herons. The great blue heron is one of the best-known types of heron. It is recognized by its S-shaped neck and long, stick-like legs.
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Where do herons live?
Herons are wading birds that live all over the world, but they are most common in the tropics. They typically eat aquatic animals that they catch while wading quietly in shallow water in places like pools, marshes, and swamps.

Herons build nests out of sticks in bushes or trees near water. These nests are usually grouped together in colonies called heronries. Some herons migrate if they breed in northern areas with harsh winters. The great blue heron, for example, lives in Canada and the northern U.S. and will fly south in the winter to find open water.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do herons look like?
Herons are long-legged wading birds with approximately 60 species, typically found in tropical regions. They have broad wings and stand with their necks bent in an S shape. When flying, herons keep their legs trailing loosely and hold their heads back against their bodies.

Herons possess long, straight, sharp-pointed bills used for grasping aquatic animals such as fish and frogs. The great blue heron, a well-known species, has gray-blue wings, white plumes, a long neck that varies from white to gray with rust-red patches, a black crown, long legs, and a yellowish pointed beak.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do herons eat and how do they catch their food?
Herons, found worldwide but more common in the tropics, are wading birds that eat aquatic animals like frogs and fish. While wading quietly in shallow water, they catch their food using a long, straight, sharp-pointed bill to grasp, rather than impale, their prey. Some herons employ a hunting method known as "canopy feeding," in which they hold their wings forward to create a shaded area in the water, which attracts fish. The green heron drops bait on the water's surface to attract fish. The Great Blue Heron strikes prey with its spear-like bill before swallowing it whole.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do herons care for their young?
Herons, including those typically called egrets, are wading birds that nest in colonies called heronries, often building rough platforms of sticks in bushes or trees near water. After an elaborate courtship, great blue heron females lay two to seven pale blue eggs in the nest. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, which hatch after 25–30 days. The young will fledge around 60 days after hatching and go off on their own about 30 days later.

To increase survivability, herons build nests in colonies, or rookeries, usually in trees, small shrubs, and near the water’s edge. Although most heron rookeries consist of around 50 pairs, the largest can contain 500 or more birds.
7 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some different species of herons and how do they differ from each other?
Herons are long-legged wading birds in the family Ardeidae. They are generally classified into typical herons, night herons, and tiger herons.

Typical herons, such as the great blue heron (Ardea herodias) of North America, are generally large with long legs and necks. The great blue heron can stand almost 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) tall with a wingspan of nearly 2 meters (6.6 feet). The green heron (Butorides virescens) is a small heron common in North America.

Night herons, such as the black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), have shorter legs and thicker bills and are active at night.

Tiger herons are shy, solitary birds with barred plumage. An example is the lined tiger heron (Tigrisoma lineatum) of South America.
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Heron, any of about 60 species of long-legged wading birds, classified in the family Ardeidae (order Ciconiiformes) and generally including several species usually called egrets. The Ardeidae also include the bitterns (subfamily Botaurinae). Herons are widely distributed over the world but are most common in the tropics. They usually feed while wading quietly in the shallow waters of pools, marshes, and swamps, catching frogs, fishes, and other aquatic animals. They nest in rough platforms of sticks constructed in bushes or trees near water; the nests usually are grouped in colonies called heronries.

Herons commonly stand with the neck bent in an S shape. They fly with the legs trailing loosely and the head held back against the body, instead of stretching the neck out in front as most birds do. They have broad wings, long straight sharp-pointed bills, and powder downs; the latter are areas of feathers that continually disintegrate to a fine powder which is used for preening (absorbing and removing fish oil, scum, and slime from the plumage).

Herons are subdivided into typical herons, night herons, and tiger herons. Typical herons feed during the day. In breeding season some develop showy plumes on the back and participate in elaborate mutual-courtship posturing. Best known of the typical herons are the very large, long-legged and long-necked, plain-hued, crested members of the genus Ardea—especially the 130-cm (50-inch) great blue heron (A. herodias) of North America, with a wingspan of 1.8 metres (6 feet) or more, and the similar but slightly smaller gray, or common, heron (A. cinerea), widespread in the Old World. Largest of all is the goliath heron (A. goliath) of Africa, a 150-cm (59-inch) bird with a reddish head and neck. The purple heron (A. purpurea) is a darker and smaller Old World form.

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The typical herons also include the black heron, Hydranassa (or Melanophoyx) ardesiaca, of Africa, and several species of the genus Egretta (egrets), such as the tricoloured heron (E. tricolor), of the southeastern United States and Central and South America, and the little blue heron (E. caerulea). The green heron (Butorides virescens), a small green and brown bird widespread in North America, is notable for its habit of dropping bait on the surface of the water in order to attract fish.

Night herons have thicker bills and shorter legs and are more active in the twilight hours and at night. The black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) ranges over the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia; the Nankeen night heron (N. caledonicus) in Australia, New Caledonia, and the Philippines; and the yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea) from the eastern and central United States to southern Brazil. Another night heron is the boat-billed heron, or boatbill (Cochlearius cochlearius), of Central and South America, placed by some authorities in its own family (Cochleariidae).

The most primitive herons are the six species of tiger herons (formerly called tiger bitterns), shy, solitary birds with cryptic, often barred, plumage. The lined, or banded, tiger heron (Tigrisoma lineatum), 75 cm (30 inches) long, of central and northern South America, is a well-known example. Another is the Mexican, or bare-throated, tiger heron (T. mexicanum) of Mexico and Central America.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Alison Eldridge.

Heron

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