Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Ontario
13 herons, egrets and bitterns recorded in Ontario on the eBird network and profiled in the Birbs encyclopedia — the full list, with photos, sounds and ID notes, plus what's near you now.
13 herons, egrets and bitterns have been recorded in Ontario on eBird, the global citizen-science database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and carry a full profile in the Birbs encyclopedia. Every bird below is a member of this group — the family Ardeidae. Start with the well-known species, browse the complete list, then check which are being reported near you right now.
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Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Ontario to know first
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
Great EgretArdea alba
Green HeronButorides virescens
Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
Little EgretEgretta garzetta
Reddish EgretEgretta rufescens
Snowy EgretEgretta thula
Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
Western Cattle EgretArdea ibis
Yellow-crowned Night HeronNyctanassa violacea
The full list — 13 herons, egrets and bitterns of Ontario in our library
- American Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret
- Green Heron
- Least Bittern
- Little Blue Heron
- Little Egret
- Reddish Egret
- Snowy Egret
- Tricolored Heron
- Western Cattle Egret
- Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Keep exploring
- Birds of Ontario
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Ontario (66 species)
- New World Warblers of Ontario (44 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of Ontario (42 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Ontario (36 species)
- New World Sparrows of Ontario (29 species)
- Tyrant Flycatchers of Ontario (27 species)
- True Finches of Ontario (20 species)
- Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Ontario (18 species)
Herons, Egrets & Bitterns in other regions
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Brazil (24 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of India (24 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Indonesia (24 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Colombia (23 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Ecuador (22 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Malaysia (22 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of the Philippines (22 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of the United States (22 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Australia (21 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Peru (21 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of South Africa (21 species)
- Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Tanzania (21 species)
Species and counts come from the eBird network; "recorded" means reported by birders to eBird. Family grouping follows the IOC World Bird List. Tap any bird for its full profile.
Frequently asked questions
How many herons, egrets and bitterns are found in Ontario?
13 herons, egrets and bitterns that we profile appear on Ontario's eBird-reported checklist. The full A–Z list is on this page; the real total can shift as eBird records are added.
Are all of these herons, egrets and bitterns really found there?
Yes — each one is on Ontario's eBird checklist (reported by birders to the Cornell Lab's eBird), and each of these herons, egrets and bitterns belongs to the family group named on this page. We don't rank them by abundance, because that varies by season and locale.
Where can I see herons, egrets and bitterns in Ontario right now?
Use Birds Near You for live, location-based reports, or turn on rare-bird alerts to hear when a notable one shows up close to you.