Species ID
Species ID
Species ID
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Heron Identification<br />
Dave McNicholas NJ Audubon Kevin Karlson
Great Egret<br />
(GREG)<br />
Snowy Egret<br />
(SNEG)
Aredea alba – Great Egret (GREG)<br />
• Tall, slender, long-necked<br />
• Thin yellow bill<br />
• Black legs and feet<br />
• Juvenile looks similar to adult<br />
Dave McNicholas
Aredea alba – Great Egret (GREG)<br />
Long neck<br />
Yellow bill<br />
Black legs and feet
Aredea alba – Great Egret (GREG)<br />
Adult has long plumes<br />
during breeding<br />
NYC Audubon
Aredea alba – Great Egret (GREG)
Egretta thula - Snowy Egret (SNEG)<br />
Breeding Adult<br />
• Smaller size<br />
• Yellow lores<br />
• Black bill<br />
• Black legs<br />
• Yellow feet<br />
• “Lacy” plumes<br />
NYC Audubon
Egretta thula - Snowy Egret (SNEG)<br />
Kristin Mylecraine
Egretta thula - Snowy Egret (SNEG)<br />
Juvenile /<br />
Nonbreeding Adult<br />
• Similar to breeding adult<br />
• Yellow lores<br />
• Black bill<br />
• Legs yellow or green<br />
• Yellow feet<br />
• Juvenile has pale bill<br />
Kevin Karlson
Kristin Mylecraine
NYC Audubon
Tricolored<br />
Heron (TRHE)<br />
Little Blue<br />
Heron (LBHE)
Egretta caerulea – Little Blue Heron (LBHE)<br />
Adult<br />
• Thick, tapered bill<br />
• All dark body<br />
• Pale, dull green legs<br />
• Bill bluish<br />
Michael Pollock
Egretta caerulea – Little Blue Heron (LBHE)
Egretta caerulea – Little Blue Heron (LBHE)<br />
Juvenile<br />
• Easily confused with<br />
Snowy Egret juvenile<br />
• Pale, dull green legs<br />
• Lores and bill pale<br />
grayish, green, or pink<br />
• Small, dark wing tips<br />
distinctive, but not<br />
always visible
Egretta tricolor – Tricolored Heron (TRHE)<br />
Adult<br />
• Dark breast<br />
• Contrasting white belly<br />
• Extremely long bill<br />
Art Morris
Egretta tricolor – Tricolored Heron (TRHE)
Great Blue<br />
Heron<br />
(GBHE)
Aredea herodias – Great Blue Heron (GBHE)<br />
Adult<br />
• Large heron<br />
• Heavy bill<br />
• White crown with<br />
dark stripe<br />
• Gray overall<br />
• Black plumes<br />
NJ Audubon
Aredea herodias – Great Blue Heron (GBHE)<br />
Kristin Mylecraine<br />
Adult<br />
• Large heron<br />
• Heavy bill<br />
• White crown with<br />
dark stripe<br />
• Gray overall<br />
• Black plumes<br />
• Mostly stationary<br />
while foraging
Aredea herodias – Great Blue Heron (GBHE)<br />
Juvenile<br />
• Entire crown dark<br />
• Streaking on throat<br />
Kristin Mylecraine
Kristin Mylecraine
Black-crowned<br />
Night-Heron<br />
(BCNH)<br />
Yellow-crowned<br />
Night-Heron<br />
(YCNH)
Nycticorax nycticorax – Black-crowned Night<br />
Heron (BCNH)<br />
Adult<br />
• Stocky heron<br />
• Heavy bill,<br />
sharply pointed<br />
• Black crown and<br />
back<br />
Art Morris
Nycticorax nycticorax – Black-crowned Night<br />
Heron (BCNH)
Nyctanassa violacea – Yellow-crowned Night<br />
Heron (YCNH)<br />
Adult<br />
• Darker and more<br />
slender overall<br />
• Dark, thick bill<br />
• Bold head pattern<br />
with white cheek<br />
NJ Audubon
Nyctanassa violacea – Yellow-crowned Night<br />
Heron (YCNH)
Juveniles<br />
Black-crowned<br />
Night-Heron<br />
(BCNH)<br />
Yellow-crowned<br />
Night-Heron<br />
(YCNH)
Green Heron (GRHE)<br />
NJ Audubon
Butorides virescens - Green Heron (GRHE)
Glossy Ibis (GLIB)
Plegadis falcinellus – Glossy Ibis (GLIB)<br />
NYC Audubon
Cattle Egret (CAEG)<br />
NYC Audubon
American Bittern<br />
(AMBI)<br />
Least Bittern<br />
(LEBI)
American Bittern<br />
Least Bittern<br />
NJ Audubon<br />
Art Morris
Tricky teenagers<br />
American Bittern<br />
NJ Audubon<br />
Yellow-crowned Night Heron juvenile<br />
Steve Mattan