Bitterns, Herons and Egrets
Order: Ciconiiformes. Family: Ardeidae
Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive. They all fly with their necks retracted. The sharp bill is used to catch fish, amphibians and other animals. Many species nest in colonies, often in trees. There are about 63 species worldwide, 13 in Britain.
| Common name | Binomial | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Great Bittern | Botaurus stellata | A resident breeding species and winter migrant |
| American Bittern | Botaurus lentiginosa | A rare vagrant |
| Little Bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | A rare vagrant, recently bred |
| Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | A rare vagrant |
| Green Heron | Butorides virescens | A rare vagrant |
| Squacco Heron | Ardeola ralloides | A rare vagrant |
| Cattle Egret | Bubulcus ibis | A rare vagrant, recently bred |
| Little Egret | Egretta garzetta | A resident breeding species and passage migrant |
| Snowy Egret | Egretta thula | A rare vagrant |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | A rare vagrant, first bred 2012 |
| Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea | A resident breeding species and winter migrant |
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | A rare vagrant |
| Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea | A scarce migrant, recently bred |
Read more about this topic: List Of Birds Of Great Britain