The herons and egrets make up the Ardeidae family. Species belonging to genus Ardea are usually considered to be herons and those belonging to genus Egretta are called egrets. However, there is no clear distinction between herons and egrets. Those species that are white or have fancy plumage are usually called egrets. Bitterns also belong to the Ardeidae family.A common feature of the Ardeidae species is that they fly with their necks retracted, unlike the ibis that fly with their necks outstretched




Bitterns

Genus Botaurus

Bittern, American Botaurus lentiginosus   Found: North America, Central America
Photographed by:  1) Alan D Wilson  - Francis Road Dike, Richmond, British Columbia 
   2) Charlie Westerinen - Colusa Reserve, California  


Bittern, Eurasian aka Great Bittern  Botaurus stellaris  Found: Europe, Asia
Photographed by: 1) Steve Chilton  2) Stewart Black - west of Glastonbury


Bittern, Pinnated  Botaurus pinnatus  Found: South America
Photographed by: 1) Alastair Rae  2, 3) Claudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil



Genus Ixobrychus

Bittern, Least  Ixobrychus exillis   Found: The Americas
Photographed by:  1, 2) Mike Baird - Morro Bay, California


Bittern, Little  Ixobrychus minutus   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia 
Photographed by: 1) Marek Szczepanek



HERONS

Genus Ardea
This genus contains two species that are commonly referred to as egrets: the Great Egret and Intermediate Egret!


Egret, Great aka Great White Egret Ardea alba   Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia
Photographed by: 1 - 7) Dick Daniels, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Australia
    8) Sandy Cole - Flamingo Gardens in Floridas
2, 8) Breeding plumage 



Egret, Intermediate aka Yellow-billed Egret  Ardea intermedia   Found: Europe, Asia, Australasia
Photographed by: 1) J M Garg  - Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India 
    2, 3) Lip Kee Yap - Mary River, Northern Territory, Australia


Heron, Black-headed Ardea melanocephala   Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Arno Meintjes   2) Lip Kee Yap - Nakuru, Kenya  3)  Darren Bellerby - Maasai Mara, Kenya
    4) Dick Daniels - South Africa  5, 6) Dick - Tanzania 



Heron, Cocoi  Ardea cocoi  Found: Central and South America
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3)  Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil  4) Dario Sanches  5) Nori Almaeda  6) Dario Niz



Heron, Goliath Ardea goliath   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by:  1) Arno Meintjes  2, 3, 4, 6) Dick Daniels - St. Lucia, South Africa
   5) Sandy Cole - St. Lucia, South Africa  7) Dick - the Jacksonville Zoo in Florida
1) Breeding



Heron, Great Blue Ardea herodias   Found: North America, Central America, Galapagos
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Dick Daniels  7) Ted Grussing



Heron, Grey Ardea cinerea Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by:  1, 2) Arno Meintjes  3, 4) Dick Daniels - Scotland  5) Dick - South Africa  6) Dick - Nepal  7) Dick - Tanzania 



Heron, Pied Ardea picata   Found: Australia
Photographed by:  1) Jutta234 - Frankfurt Zoo  2)  JJ Harrison - Melbourne Zoo  3) Burtonpe - Adelaide Zoo, Australia


Heron, Purple  Ardea purpurea  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by:  1) Dick Daniels - Plettenberg Bay, South Africa  2) Dick - St. Lucia, South Africa  3) Sandy - St. Lucia
   4) Steve Garvie - Kenya


Heron, White-necked Ardea pacifica   Found: Australia
Photogrpahed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Kuranda Birdworld, Australia  2) Glen Fergus




Genus Ardeola

Heron, Chinese Pond Ardeola bacchus Found: Asia
 Photographed by:1) kclama  2, 3) Lip Kee   4, 5) JJ Harrison - Thailand
1) Breeding



Heron, Indian Pond  Ardeola grayii   Found: India, Africa
Photographed by:  1) Kaippally  2,  3) J M Garg - Kolkata, West Bengal, India 4) Dick Daniels - Jacksonville Zoo in Florida
1) Nonbreeding  2, 3, 4) Breeding


Heron, Java Pond  Ardeola speciosa  Found: Southeast Asia
Photographed by:  1, 2) Dick Daniels - Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo 
1, 2) Nonbreeding


Heron, Malagasy Pond  aka Madagascar Pond Heron  Ardeola idae  Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1) Carol Foil - Rift Valley, Kenya


Heron, Rufous-bellied  Ardeola rufiventris found: Africa
Photographed by: Lip Kee Yap


Heron, Squacco   Ardeola ralloides  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Mark S Jobling - Greece  



Genus Butorides

Heron, Green Butorides virescens   Found: North America, Central America
Photographed by 1, 2) Dick - New Jersey
     3) Sandy Cole - Flamingo Gardens in Florida   4) Dick - Everglades Natiional Park, Florida 
     5) Dick - California   6) Alan D Wilson - Varner Harbour, Salton Sea State Recreation Area, California



Heron, Lava Butorides sundevalli   Found: Galapagos Islands
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Galapagos Islands  3, 4) Putneymark at the Galapagos


Heron, Striated aka Little Heron aka Green-backed Heron Butorides striatus Found: South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - Australia  3, 4, 8)  Cláudio Timm - Tacuarembó, Uruguay  5, 6,) Arno Meintjes
8) Juvenile




Genus Nycticorax

Heron, Black-crowned Night- Nycticorax nycticorax   Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - New Jersey   3) Dick - Brookfield Gardens, So. Carolina
    4) Sandy Cole - Flamingo Gardens in Florida  5) Chris Queen - Hawaii 6) Ted Grussing
1, 2, 6) Juvenile



Heron, Nankeen Night- Nycticorax caledonicus   Found: Australia, Indonesia
Photographed by: 1) Michael Spencer - Jurong Bird Park, Singapore  2) Mehmet Karatay - Melbourne Zoo


Heron, Yellow-crowned night- Nyctanassa violacea   Found: The Americas
Photographed by:   1, 2)  Dick Daniels - Flamingo Gardens in Florida
    3) Sandy Cole - Flamingo Gardens in Florida  4) Dick - Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida 
    5) Dick Daniels on the Cheasapeak Bay Bridge  
5) Juvenile




Genus  Pilherodius - 1 species

Heron, Capped   Pilherodius pileatus   Found: Central and South America
Photographed by:  1) Cláudio Timm  - the Amazon, Brazil  2) Jozeias3d



Genus Syrigma - 1 species

Heron, Whistling  Syrigma sibilatrix   Found: Central and South America
Photographed by: 1) Gustavo Durán   2) José Cláudio Guimarães Martins   3) Jimmy Baikovicius 



Genus Tigrisoma

Heron, Bare-throated Tiger Tigrisoma mexicanum Found: Central and South America
Photographed by: 1)  Dominic Sherony - Limon, Costa Rica   2) Patrick Gijsbers 3) Reinhard Jahn


Heron, Fasciated Tiger  Tigrisoma fasciatum  Found: South America
Photographed by:1) Jerry Oldenettel - Venezuela  2)  Dominic Sherony  3) Gina


Heron, Rufescent Tiger  Tigrisoma lineatum Found: South America
Photographed by: 1, 2, 4) Cláudio Timm in the Amazon, Brazil  3) Cristobal Alvarado Minic
3) Juvenile



Genus Cochlearius - 1 species

Heron, Boat-billed Cochlearius cochlearius Found: Central and South America
Photographed by: 1)  Dominic Sherony  2) Dick Daniels - Washington National Zoo  3) Patick Coin



Family Scopidae - 1 genus

It is a matter of debate whether the Hammerkop belongs in the same order as the herons, Ciconiiformes, or with the Pelicaniformes.


Genus Scopus - 1 species

Hammerkop Scopus umbretta   Found: Africa
Photographed:  1, 2) Arno Meintjes 3, 4, 5) Dick Daniels - Tanzania   6) Sandy Cole - Tanzania 
6) Hammerkop nest, perhaps the world's largest nest?.