In Manitoba, seven of the 17 species of herons that live in North America have been found. There are four more that are unusual or happen by chance. This guide will help you identify and understand these long-legged birds.
Herons, which can be found in saltwater, freshwater, and even peering into your backyard pond for a quick snack, are water-loving birds.
Nonetheless, most of your fish herons are protected and can only be caught with a net, so if you’re having trouble finding them, use a net.
Herons are known for nesting in huge colonies, known as heronries, but they prefer to hunt on their own by remaining completely motionless and waiting or dashing about.
A collection of herons is referred to as a “rookery,” a “battery,” a “hedge,” a “siege,” and even as an entire group of herons known as the “scattering.”
You might learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans that you may see in Manitoba if you enjoy discovering waterbirds.
11 Species Of Heron In Manitoba
1. Great Blue Heron
From mid-March to November, Great Blue Herons may be seen in Manitoba during the breeding season. They were seen in 4% of the province’s bird-watcher checklists this summer.
The biggest heron native to North America is the Great Blue Heron, which is a huge, majestic bird.
Their face is white, with a black crest or plume that extends from the front of their eyes to the back of their heads. Yellow-orangish is the color of their bills.
Grayish-blue bodies with long gray legs, they have long gray necks with black and white streaking in the front.
- Ardea herodias
- Length: 46 – 52 in (117 – 132 cm)
- Weight: 128 oz (3628 g)
- Wingspan: 77 – 82 in (196 – 208 cm)
Most US states are home to Great Blue Herons, but they migrate south during breeding season in the Mid-West and Canada.
In Florida, the Great Blue Heron is morphologically split into two subspecies: the Great White Heron.
Several wetland habitats are home to Great Blue Herons. Fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded marshes, lake edges, and shorelines are all possible habitats for them.
Fish, frogs, salamanders, shrimps, crabs, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other aquatic insects make up the majority of Great Blue Herons’ diet.
When wading or standing in water, they capture their prey. Hovering above water, diving into the water, leaping feet-first from ledges, and floating on the surface of the water are some other possibilities.
Great Blue Heron colonies are located high in the trees, near water, where they breed. Twigs and sticks are used to make the nests, which are lined with softer material.
Great Blue Herons may reconstruct and enhance their nests over time, increasing the size of their nests as they reused them.
After that, the female may lay two to seven eggs. For about four weeks, both parents share the responsibility of incubating the eggs.
Fun Fact: Great Blue Herons use their heads thrown back to defend their eating area with magnificent wing-out stretched displays.
2. American Bittern
From April to November, American Bitterns may be found in Manitoba, accounting for 3% of summer checklists.
In the spring of the American Bittern, you may hear their peculiar watery boom calls even before you see them if you’re lucky. Below are some examples of what you can do with it.
The Heron family of birds includes American Bitterns, a chunky, medium-sized solitary species.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, as well as their capacity to lie motionless amid the reeds with their head tilted up, they resemble the reeds they hide in.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that turn orange during courting.
- Botaurus lentiginosus
- Length: 23 in (58 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz (726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 – 50 in (107 – 127 cm)
Before migrating to the Gulf Coast and Mexico, American Bitterns breed in Canada and northern US states.
Look for them around the margins of lakes and ponds, amid the coarse vegetation.
In the water, amid thick vegetation, American Bittern nests may be discovered. Females choose a nest site, collect reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants from around the area, and construct it themselves.
They lay seven eggs, which are incubated for around twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks directly into their beaks when they are born. They fled the nest after two weeks and are fully developed at six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
3. Great Egret
Great Egrets are only seen in 1% of summer checklists and breed in southern Manitoba. From April through October, they can be seen.
When males have neon green facial skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) extending from their backs to their tails, Great Egrets are at their best during the breeding season.
They’re called Great White Herons because they’re huge all-white herons. Common egrets are another name for them. These gigantic birds feature long, black legs and feet, as well as dagger-like, long beaks.
Males, females, and juveniles all have the same appearance during non-breeding season.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
The Great Egret is found all over the globe. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay throughout the year, although those in Canada migrate south.
The range of Great Egrets extends across the globe. Those in the southern and coastal states stay there for the whole year, whereas those in more northern Canada go south.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, but they are more common in the latter.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of the diet of Great Egrets. Great Egrets stand stock-still on the water, waiting and watching their victim before lunging and skewering it with their long bills.
Great Egret colonies house nests. To keep the nests safe from predators like raccoons, they are usually placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Sticks, twigs, and marsh plant stems are used to make them. Both parents incubate the eggs for approximately twenty-five days, which they lay up to six of.
Fun Fact: Because of their long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was nearly hunted to extinction.
4. Black-crowned Night-Heron
From April to October, black-crowned night-herons can be found in the south of Manitoba, according to 1% of summer checklists.
The heron family’s typical description does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Herons. It has a shorter bill, neck, and legs than the common ibis.
The black crowns of adult Black-crowned Night-herons stretch from a white line above their black bills.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, and their eyes are red. Underneath, they’re white, but the back is black. Yellow legs and feet
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, while their eyes are red. They have a darker back than the rest of their body. Yellow legs and feet
The overall color of juveniles is dull grayish-brown with streaks and spots.
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Length: 25 – 28 in (64 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 38.8 oz (1100 g)
- Wingspan: 44 – 45 in (112 – 114 cm)
The range of Black-crowned Night-herons spans the globe. Before traveling south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Along the coasts, some are present all year.
Wetland habitats such as shallow freshwater or brackish rivers are ideal places to find Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also used to grow them.
Black-crowned Night-herons are night feeders who consume crayfish, fish, and even turtles or worms if they can find them.
In preparation for selecting their mates, Black-crowned Night-heron males build nests in bushes or trees, which are started by the males.
After that, the female will deposit up to seven eggs every two days. For roughly twenty-four days after the eggs are deposited, both parents begin to incubate them. Over the course of roughly three weeks, the parents will look after their infant.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has housed a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons during the summer.
5. Cattle Egret
During the breeding season, from May to October, Cattle Egrets may be seen in Manitoba’s south. They are not particularly common.
Cattle Egrets have a cunning method of capturing their meal….they stand on the backs of cattle, catching the scattered prey as the cattle walk and disturb the earth.
White bodies and pale orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs distinguish Cattle Egrets, which are small, short-necked egrets.
Their eyes and face skin are yellow. Their bills are small and greenish-black, and their legs are short. Males and females have a similar appearance.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets turn brighter, becoming more colorful all year.
Their pale orange patches turn deeper orange during the breeding season. At the peak of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises become bright red, and their face skin (lores) becomes pinkish-red.
- Bubulcus ibis
- Length: 19 – 21 in (48 – 53 cm)
- Weight: 17.98 oz (510 g)
- Wingspan: 36 – 38 in (91 – 97 cm)
Those in the south of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southwestern US states remain all year, but Cattle Egrets have a vast range around the world.
Those, on the other hand, who breed farther north, primarily in the eastern United States, migrate south after breeding.
Cattle Egrets may be seen on native grasslands, meadows, agricultural fields, and rice fields wherever hoofed animals are present.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic environments, such as riverbanks, ponds, and shallow marshes, despite their preference for staying on land and atop cattle. Golf courses, lawns, athletic fields, dumps, and parks are all places where they may be seen.
Insects, primarily grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths are the main source of food for Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, tiny snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are also among the animals they eat.
Cattle Egret nests are normally constructed in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on little islands. They are constructed out of sticks and reeds.
The female lays up to nine eggs, which take roughly twenty-five days to hatch. The juvenile takes around 45 days to develop, fledge, and become fully autonomous from their parents.
Fun Fact: Instead of correcting for light refraction while feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to accept foraging on land with binocular vision.
6. Least Bittern
During the breeding season, you may see Least Bitterns in Manitoba’s southeast, particularly near Winnipeg.
The tiniest herons in the Americas, Least Bitterns, are difficult to spot amid the reeds but may be heard first.
Their yellow beak has a black top and a black cap, and they are brown and white in color. They grip the reeds with their long toes and claws.
Females and juveniles have lighter backs and crowns than males, but they are otherwise similar.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
Europe and Africa are the normal habitats of Little Bitterns, but they have been known to visit North America.
Least Bitterns may be found in marshlands with several tall cattails and reeds, as well as dense freshwater and brackish marshlands. When they sit on reeds, look for them.
They will immediately freeze up, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in time with the reeds when they sense danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice make up the diet of least bitterns. They lie on the reeds, twisting and contorting themselves in order to capture their prey on the water’s surface.
The female of Least Bitterns builds well-concealed nest platforms made of cattails and marsh vegetation. For around twenty days, both parents incubate the eggs she lays up to seven. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: Long necks and a hunchbacked stance are characteristic of Least Bitterns.
7. Snowy Egret
In Manitoba, snowy egrets are regarded as a uncommon or accidental species, although some may spend the breeding season in the south of the province around Whitewater Lake and Winnipeg.
Little all-white herons known as snowy egrets. They have long, black beaks, long, black legs, and brilliant yellow feet with yellow irises that are skin-colored.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courtship, their lores and cheeks become reddish-pink, and their toes turn orange-red.
During aggressive encounters, these parts of their bodies become bright red, which is interesting.
Adults have head plumes, whereas juveniles do not. Their lores and legs are greenerish-yellow, and their bills and legs are also lighter in color.
- Egretta thula
- Length: 22 – 27 in (56 -69 cm)
- Weight: 16.75 oz (475 g)
- Wingspan: 39.4 in (100 cm)
Except for the Gulf Coast and the southwest coast, snowy egrets are found throughout the United States. Throughout Mexico, Central, and South America, they stay throughout the year.
Marshlands, riverbanks, lakesides, ponds, salt marshes, and estuaries are all good places to look for Snowy Egrets. They choose swampland woods with protective trees and plants for breeding.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are among the foods sought by snowy egrets in shallow water. They might sit still and wait for prey to approach them, or they may stir the water in order for their prey to surface and make catching it simpler.
The males pick the nests of Snowy Egrets. They choose a place and put on a full display to attract their mates. The males continue to provide sticks, sedges, or reeds as the females construct the nest when they are coupled up.
Nests are usually found on the ground, hidden among shrubs. Both parents take turns incubating their eggs after the female lays two to six eggs. The incubation period is normally twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, snowy egrets were nearly wiped off the face of the earth. They are a brilliant addition to women’s hats and a delightful accessory.
8. Green Heron
Manitoba is not home to many Green Herons, although during the breeding season, there have been a few reports around Winnipeg.
The glossy green-black color of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of Green Herons is what gives them their name; however, when they’re seen from a distance they seem bent and gloomy.
During the breeding season, their bills turn black, with two-toned dark on top and yellow at the bottom. Their irises and legs likewise change hue from yellow to orange.
They have chestnut or maroon coloured heads, necks, and breasts. The neck is striped with a white stripe down the middle. Gray is the color of their bellies.
Browner with a black head and a crest, juveniles are more adult-looking.
- Butorides virescens
- Length: 18 – 22 in (46 – 56 cm)
- Weight: 9.17 oz (260 g)
- Wingspan: 25 – 26 in (64 – 66 cm)
Before migrating south, Green Herons breed mostly in eastern US states and the Pacific Coast. Those in the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and Mexico, on the other hand, are permanent.
Green Herons may be found in damp environments with deep vegetation, such as swamps, marshes, lakes, and ponds. They may stay in dry woods or orchards if there are water sources nearby, but they prefer coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rodents make up the Green Heron’s diet. Rather than wading, they usually hunt from shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are constructed of long, slender twigs placed high in the trees over water, but some may also leave them hidden under vegetation on the ground.
Females deposit up to six eggs every two days in a two-day pattern. The final egg is laid, and both parents begin incubation, which lasts around twenty days. When their offspring are born, they both feed them.
Fun Facts: Foraging with bait, like bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, is one of the few bird species that uses tools. (Davis and Kushlan, 1994)
9. Little Blue Heron
In Manitoba, little blue herons are an uncommon species that has been declared an accidental species. In the year 2022, they were discovered in Winnipeg.
The fact is, adult Little Blue Herons are quite big. Long, stretched bodies are found in medium to large-sized creatures. With dangling feathers across the nape, their heads and necks have a purplish hue.
During the breeding season, their eyes may become gray-green. Two-toned – pale blue or grayish with black tips – their long, dagger-like bills are two-toned. Slate-blue is the color of their skin. They range in color from dark to green, with long legs.
Until they reach their first year, when they are completely white, juvenile Little Blue Herons are predominantly dark gray, blue, and white.
- Egretta caerulea
- Length: 24 – 29 in (61 – 74 cm)
- Weight: 16.22 oz (460 g)
- Wingspan: 40 – 41 in (102 – 104 cm)
Before heading south, Little Blue Herons breed in the eastern United States, then spend the winter in Mexico and South America.
Little Blue Herons may be found around water, in marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, and fish hatcheries.
Compared to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more elegant manner. They simply stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey rather than dashing about across the water.
Fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, spiders, crustaceans, mice, and insects are among the foods that Little Blue Herons eat. Adults prefer to forage alone, but youngsters prefer to mix with other youngsters.
Little Blue Heron nests are commonly constructed of sticks and are found in colonies with other herons. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. The incubation period is between twenty-four and twenty-five days for either parent.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ coloring makes them stand out among Snowy Egrets, allowing them to capture more fish and provide additional protection against predators.
10. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In Manitoba, the yellow-crowned night-heron is a rare species. They were last seen in 2007 at the Oak Hammock Marsh Wetland Discovery Centre, and they are extremely uncommon in the province.
Yellow crowns with two plumes protruding from their heads characterize adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons. Their bills are black and cream in color. Their remainder of the heads are black, with a little white patch on each side below their eyes.
As they grew up, their eyes became red, from yellow to orange to red.
Their wings have a scaled pattern and their bodies are gray-blue. During the breeding season, their legs grow longer and turn pink, coral, or red.
Grayish-brown with white streaks and spots, juveniles begin as grayish-brown all over. It takes three years for them to reach maturity.
- Nyctanassa violacea
- Length: 22 – 28 in (56 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz ( 726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 0 44 in (107 – 112 cm)
Before migrating south, yellow-crowned night herons breed mostly in the southeastern United States. Throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they are present throughout the year.
In coastal regions with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and edge locations where to feed, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons at daybreak and dusk.
Crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-herons’ diets. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rats, and birds are also eaten by them. Little prey may be devoured instantly by them.
Crabs are frequently dismembered or stabbed in the body.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water, and their nests are frequently found in small loose colonies. Both parents create nests from grass, leaves, or moss-covered sticks and twigs.
After laying up to eight eggs, which they share for three weeks, she goes into hibernation. Chicks are fed through regurgitation when they hatch. They fledge after about a month and are capable of flying on their own at fifty days.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can kill horses and humans, is carried by Yellow-crowned Night-herons.
11. Tricolored Heron
In Manitoba, Tricolored Herons are an unintentional species, and they were last observed in Whitewater Lake in 2006, according to records.
The white belly and neck stripe of Tricolored Herons distinguishes them from other herons.
Adults that are not breeding have blue-gray, purple, and white feathers in their mix. Their bills are black with a yellowish or greyish tint. Yellow or olive green legs and feet.
Adults have narrow, white feathers on their backs of their heads, and their bills turn blue as the breeding season progresses. Fine feathers cover their necks and backs as well. Their legs, in addition, gain a red tint to them.
The neck, upper breasts, upper back, and wings of juveniles are deeper in color than those of adults.
- Egretta tricolor
- Length: 24 – 26 in (61 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 14.6 oz (414 g)
- Wingspan: 36 in (91 cm)
Throughout the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America, tricolored Herons may be found all year. Those that breed farther north migrate south along the Atlantic Coast.
Freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps are all home to Tricolored Herons.
The Tricolored Heron is a solitary feeder that keeps its feeding sites safe. Other wading birds that want to eat small fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects will be chased away from their area.
Stalking, pursuing, standing, and waiting are all likely behaviors you’ll observe. Before striking, they squat low in the water, with their bellies and necks drawn in tight.
Tricolored Heron nests are sticks-based structures that are built in trees and shrubs. The mother and father both participate in the incubation of the eggs, which takes three weeks before they hatch. The female lays three to five eggs. The babies are also fed by both of them.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron was formerly known as the Louisiana heron.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Manitoba In Summer And Winter
To discover which birds are frequently seen in your state, use checklists. In Manitoba during the summer and winter, these data reveal which herons are most commonly seen on ebird checklists.
Herons in Manitoba in summer:
Great Blue Heron 4.3%
American Bittern 3.3%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1.4%
Great Egret 1.0%
Cattle Egret 0.2%
Least Bittern 0.2%
Snowy Egret 0.1%
Green Heron 0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Herons in Manitoba in winter:
Great Blue Heron <0.1%