Species group · Birds
Herons
WAnimals has 3 species of heron, all in the family Ardeidae.
- 3 species
- 1 family
- 122 countries
- 84 parks
- Weight
- 1 kg – 3.2 kg
- Length
- 78 cm – 1 m
- Lifespan
- 5 – 15 years
Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 3.
All 3 species of herons on WAnimals
Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.
Conservation status
No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.
See the global conservation statusWhere they live
Recorded in 122 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:
Where to see them
Did you know…
It nests on bent-over reeds and hides by stretching its neck straight up.
From Purple Heron
Faced with a threat it adopts what is known as the 'bittern stance': it stretches its neck to the full with its bill pointing skywards and freezes, becoming almost invisible among the reeds. The chicks already do it.
From Purple Heron
The parents carry food in their crop and regurgitate it when the chicks prompt them by grasping their bill.
From Purple Heron
It forms a superspecies with the Eurasian grey heron and the North American great blue heron: all three have almost identical skeletal morphology.
From Cocoi Heron
It takes fish of more than 20 cm, but also mammals, amphibians, reptiles and even carrion.
From Cocoi Heron
It adapts its diet to its surroundings: on rivers and lakes it fishes, while in heavily vegetated areas it hunts insects and amphibians.
From Cocoi Heron
It can stand completely still at the water's edge for long stretches, waiting for a fish to come close enough before striking with an extraordinarily fast stab of the bill.
From Grey Heron