Spot the Difference: 13 Birds That Look Like Herons

Great Blue Herons are the largest heron species in North America, is distinguished by its tall stature and unique blue-gray plumage.

Measuring up to 4.5 feet tall with a wingspan of approximately 6.5 feet, the bird features a long, pointed bill, a white head with a black eye stripe extending to slender black plumes, and robust, elongated legs. Its distinctive flight pattern, forming a tight “S” shape with its neck, sets it apart from similar large birds, like cranes.

Inhabiting various wetland habitats, including marshes, lakes, rivers, and coastal regions throughout much of North and Central America, the Great Blue Heron is a wading bird. Often seen poised statue-like at the water’s edge, these birds are expert hunters, spearing fish and capturing small animals with their sharp bills.

The Great Egret (Ardea alba), also known as the Common Egret, is a large, elegant wading bird recognized for its brilliant white plumage, slender black legs, and long, dagger-like yellow bill.

With a height of up to 3.3 feet and a wingspan of 52 to 67 inches, this bird is amongst the largest of the heron species. Its stately appearance and serene comportment have made it a popular symbol in many cultures and an eye-catching sight in its habitats.

Found across all continents except Antarctica, the Great Egret resides in both fresh and saltwater wetlands, including marshes, ponds, and coastal areas. It feeds mainly on fish, but it also hunts amphibians, small mammals, and invertebrates.

The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a small and active wading bird, celebrated for its delicate beauty. It sports an entirely white plumage that appears to glow against its black bill and legs, and striking yellow feet, which often play a crucial role in luring prey during feeding.

The Snowy Egret is further adorned with fine, plume-like feathers on its head, neck, and back during the breeding season, making it one of the more distinctive heron species.

Inhabiting wetland areas across the Americas, the Snowy Egret can be found in marshes, swamps, shorelines, and tidal flats where it feeds primarily on fish, but also consumes insects, crustaceans, and small reptiles.

The Cattle Egret is a small heron species found globally. Its widespread presence results from its remarkable adaptability to diverse environments, often seen among grazing livestock or agricultural fields.

Appearance: Cattle Egrets are usually white with a slightly hunched posture and a relatively short neck compared to other heron species. Their bills and legs are yellow but can turn red or orange during the breeding season. During this period, they also grow buff-colored patches on their head, chest, and back.

Diet: The diet of the Cattle Egret mainly consists of insects and other small creatures, which they often catch in fields and meadows. They are particularly known for following cattle or other large mammals, catching insects disturbed by these animals’ movements.

The Little Egret is an elegant, white water bird that can often be seen hunting in both marine and freshwater habitats across many parts of the world.

Appearance: Dressed in pure white plumage, the Little Egret is a picture of grace. Both sexes are alike, featuring long, black legs tipped with bright yellow feet, and a sharp, black bill. During the breeding season, adult birds develop beautiful, ornate plumes on their back and chest, creating a spectacle of their usually sleek figure.

Diet: The Little Egret’s diet is mainly composed of fish, but they will also eat amphibians, small invertebrates, insects, and occasionally small mammals. Their hunting method is active; they stir the water with their feet to flush out prey, then quickly strike with their bill.

Reproduction: The Little Egret’s nests are platform-like structures made of sticks, usually built in trees or shrubs near water bodies. They often nest in colonies, sometimes mixed with other heron or egret species. The female lays a clutch of about 3 to 5 pale blue-green eggs, and both parents take turns incubating them.

The Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) is a medium-sized heron species recognized for its unusual coloration and lively hunting behavior.

It comes in two distinct color morphs: a dark form that displays a bluish body with a reddish neck and head, and a white form that is entirely white. Its bill is pink at the base, transitioning to black towards the tip, and its legs and feet are bluish-gray.

The Reddish Egret’s habitat stretches along the coastal regions of the southern United States, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, where it frequents saltwater marshes, lagoons, and shallow bays. It is known for its “dance” when hunting, running in shallow water with wings spread and dipping its head to catch fish.

The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a wading bird of the heron family, widely recognized for its exceptional camouflage. The bird’s streaky, brown plumage perfectly imitates the reeds and tall grasses of its wetland habitats, rendering it nearly invisible when it stands still with its bill pointing upwards. It is medium-sized with a stocky body, a long neck, and a thick, pointed bill, characteristics that enable its hunting lifestyle.

In terms of behavior, the American Bittern is extremely secretive and solitary, spending most of its time hidden in marshes and wetlands across North America. The species is most known for its distinctive call, which resembles the sound of a water pump, earning it the colloquial name, ‘stake-driver’ or ‘thunder-pumper’. It is primarily a carnivore, hunting for fish, amphibians, and insects in its watery habitat.

The Least Bittern is a secretive bird, spending most of its time among dense reeds and marsh vegetation in North and Central America.

Appearance: Despite its small size, the Least Bittern exhibits striking sexual dimorphism. Males sport rich black-brown upperparts and a pale, buff-colored underside streaked with brown. Females and juveniles, on the other hand, have more uniformly brown plumage. Both sexes feature yellow eyes, a sharp bill, and relatively long legs, allowing them to wade through their preferred marshy habitats.

Diet: The Least Bittern feeds mainly on fish and aquatic invertebrates, including insects, crayfish, and small frogs. It is an excellent hunter, using its long, sharp bill to spear or snatch its prey as it wades stealthily through the reeds.

Reproduction: Unlike many water birds, Least Bitterns build their nests in the dense vegetation of freshwater marshes, often suspended above the water. The female lays a clutch of usually 4-5 eggs, which are then incubated by both parents.

The Black-Crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is a medium-sized heron species known for its distinct nocturnal habits and characteristic appearance. The bird displays a stocky silhouette, with a black crown and back, contrasting starkly with its light grey wings and white underparts.

Its eyes are large and red, adapted for its night-time activities, and its legs are relatively short for a heron. The bill is sturdy and black, and during the breeding season, two to three long white plumes extend from the back of the head.

Residing in a wide variety of wetland habitats, from freshwater marshes to coastal regions, the Black-Crowned Night-Heron is found across a large global range, including the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The species primarily feeds on fish and invertebrates, but it is known to be opportunistic and will also eat small mammals, birds, and eggs.

The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron is a medium-sized heron found in the Americas, recognized for its nocturnal habits and striking plumage.

Appearance: The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron features a sturdy body with a thick neck, short legs, and a black bill. It exhibits a pale gray body, a black head, and an attractive yellow crown, from which it derives its name. Its eyes are a captivating red, contrasting strikingly with the yellow on the head. Younger birds have a softer, browner coloration that gradually transitions to the adult’s striking palette.

Diet: The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron feeds primarily on crustaceans, such as crabs and crayfish, making its home in mangroves, saltwater marshes, and other wetland habitats rich in these food sources. It also eats insects, fish, and occasionally plant matter.

Reproduction: The Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron nests in colonies, often with other bird species. They build a rather simplistic nest out of sticks. The female typically lays 2-6 eggs.

The Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) is a distinguished bird species found in the family Gruidae, renowned for its majestic presence and elaborate courtship dances.

These long-legged birds stand approximately 4 feet tall with a wingspan of up to 7 feet, marked by gray bodies, white cheeks, pointy dark bills, and an iconic red cap on their heads. Typically, they inhabit grasslands, marshes, and fields across North America, Siberia, and Cuba.

Being omnivorous, Sandhill Cranes thrive on a varied diet consisting of plant material, small mammals, amphibians, and insects. With a lifespan reaching up to 20 years in the wild, they remain one of the most widespread crane species globally.

The White Stork is a large, elegant bird notable for its contrasting black and white plumage. These storks forage in grasslands and shallow wetlands, hunting for a range of food items, including insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and birds.

The White Stork is a tall, long-legged wading bird. Its distinctive bill is long, straight, and pointed, perfectly adapted for hunting. Adults are primarily white with black flight feathers, while the legs and the long bill are bright red. Immature storks resemble adults but have duller plumage and a darker bill.

The vocal sounds of the White Stork are not as prominent, as they are mostly silent. However, they are known for their unique way of communication through “bill-clattering”, a rapid opening and closing of their beak producing a rattle-like sound.

The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a wading bird that stands out due to its rich, iridescent plumage that appears glossy in the sunlight, showcasing a blend of purples, greens, and browns. This species features a long, down-curved bill and red eyes, which add to its unique charm. Found in a variety of regions worldwide, including parts of the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, it’s the most widespread ibis species.

The Glossy Ibis favors wetland habitats where it can probe in the soft mud for a diverse diet of insects, small fish, and crustaceans. It nests in colonies, often with other wading birds, building platform nests in trees or reeds. While the global population of Glossy Ibis is large, it faces potential threats such as habitat loss due to drainage of wetlands, pollution, and disturbance. Conservation efforts are focused on habitat protection and restoration, along with monitoring of populations to prevent significant declines.

The Green Heron is a small heron found in North America, notable for its deep green back and chestnut body, as well as its unique fishing tactics.

Appearance: Green Herons are dark and compact birds with a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings, and chestnut neck and belly. The bill is long, dark and sharply pointed. Their legs are bright orange or yellow. Young birds are duller in color, with a dark top and streaked brown front.

Diet: The Green Heron’s diet is quite varied, consisting mostly of small fish, but also includes insects, spiders, and sometimes amphibians and small mammals. It’s known for its tool-using behavior where it drops bait onto the water’s surface to attract fish.

Reproduction: Green Herons are solitary birds except during the breeding season, where they form monogamous pairs. Nests are typically built in trees or shrubs near water. Females lay 2 to 5 pale blue-green eggs that both parents incubate.

The Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a large water bird recognized by its gray-brown body, white neck, and distinctly large, extendable throat pouch used for capturing fish. Unique among the world’s seven species of pelicans, the Brown Pelican is the only one that dives into the water from the air to catch its prey, making it an iconic sight along the coastal regions of the Americas where it’s often found.

Inhabiting both coasts of North and South America, Brown Pelicans primarily feed on fish, using their large pouches as nets to scoop prey from the water. They’re social birds, often seen flying in flocks, resting communally, or nesting in colonies on islands. Despite having rebounded from the brink of extinction in the 1970s due to pesticide pollution (particularly DDT), Brown Pelicans still face threats including habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance. Conservation efforts include protecting nesting habitats and monitoring populations to ensure this species remains a staple of its coastal ecosystems.

The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a large, long-legged wading bird known for its unique spoon-shaped bill and striking pink plumage, from which it derives its name.

The species’ eye-catching coloration ranges from light pink to bright magenta, accentuated by a patch of carmine red on the wing and a greenish tinge on the head and neck. The spoon-shaped bill, broad and flat at the end, is a highly specialized tool for feeding, allowing the bird to sweep through the water and scoop up small aquatic animals.

Residing in marshes, lagoons, and mangroves, the Roseate Spoonbill is found in the Americas, from the southern United States through Central America and into South America. They feed on crustaceans and other small aquatic animals, the carotenoid pigments of which contribute to their vibrant pink color.