Herons, Egrets & Bitterns of Virginia
14 herons, egrets and bitterns recorded in Virginia 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.
14 herons, egrets and bitterns have been recorded in Virginia 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 Virginia to know first
American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
Great EgretArdea alba
Green HeronButorides virescens
Grey HeronArdea cinerea
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 — 14 herons, egrets and bitterns of Virginia in our library
- American Bittern
- Black-crowned Night Heron
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret
- Green Heron
- Grey 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 Virginia
- Ducks, Geese & Swans of Virginia (58 species)
- New World Warblers of Virginia (43 species)
- Sandpipers & Allies of Virginia (38 species)
- Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Virginia (36 species)
- New World Sparrows of Virginia (28 species)
- Tyrant Flycatchers of Virginia (24 species)
- Hawks, Eagles & Kites of Virginia (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 Virginia?
14 herons, egrets and bitterns that we profile appear on Virginia'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 Virginia'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 Virginia 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.