Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of the United States

22 herons, egrets and bitterns have been recorded in the United States 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 the United States to know first

• American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
• Bare-throated Tiger HeronTigrisoma mexicanum
• Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
• Chinese EgretEgretta eulophotes
• Chinese Pond HeronArdeola bacchus
• Eastern Cattle EgretArdea coromanda
• Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellaris
• Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
• Great EgretArdea alba
• Green HeronButorides virescens
• Grey HeronArdea cinerea
• Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
• Little EgretEgretta garzetta
• Medium EgretArdea intermedia
• Reddish EgretEgretta rufescens
• Snowy EgretEgretta thula
• Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
• Western Cattle EgretArdea ibis

The full list — 22 herons, egrets and bitterns of the United States in our library

• American Bittern
• Bare-throated Tiger Heron
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Chinese Egret
• Chinese Pond Heron
• Eastern Cattle Egret
• Eurasian Bittern
• Great Blue Heron
• Great Egret
• Green Heron
• Grey Heron
• Least Bittern
• Little Blue Heron
• Little Egret
• Medium Egret
• Reddish Egret
• Snowy Egret
• Tricolored Heron
• Western Cattle Egret
• Western Reef Heron
• Yellow Bittern
• Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Keep exploring

• Birds of the United States
• Ducks, Geese & Swans of the United States (102 species)
• Parrots, Cockatoos & Allies of the United States (88 species)
• Sandpipers & Allies of the United States (66 species)
• Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United States (61 species)
• True Finches of the United States (60 species)
• New World Warblers of the United States (57 species)
• Tyrant Flycatchers of the United States (47 species)
• New World Sparrows of the United States (46 species)
• Petrels & Shearwaters of the United States (43 species)
• Hawks, Eagles & Kites of the United States (42 species)
• Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of the United States (36 species)
• Crows, Jays & Magpies of the United States (33 species)
• Waxbills & Munias of the United States (32 species)
• New World Blackbirds & Orioles of the United States (31 species)
• Thrushes of the United States (31 species)
• Pigeons & Doves of the United States (28 species)
• Woodpeckers of the United States (25 species)
• Hummingbirds of the United States (24 species)
• Owls of the United States (24 species)
• Tanagers & Allies of the United States (23 species)
• Auks, Murres & Puffins of the United States (22 species)
• Old World Flycatchers & Chats of the United States (21 species)
• Rails, Crakes & Coots of the United States (21 species)
• Cardinals & Grosbeaks of the United States (19 species)
• Plovers of the United States (19 species)
• Vireos of the United States (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 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)
• Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Thailand (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.