Saskatchewan has been home to five of the 17 species of herons that live in North America on a regular basis. There are six more that are unique or accidental. This guide will assist you to identify and understand about these long-legged birds.
Herons, which live in saltwater, freshwater, and even peering into your backyard pond for a quick snack, are water-loving birds.
However, many of the fish herons that your fish herons consume are protected, so a net is your best option if you’re having trouble.
Herons frequently build huge colonies known as heronries, but they prefer to hunt on their own by remaining totally still and enticing the victim or by dashing about.
A collection of herons is known by a slew of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” and “pose” for example.
You should learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans you may see in Saskatchewan if you like seeing waterbirds.
11 Species Of Heron In Saskatchewan
1. Great Blue Heron
From April through November, Great Blue Herons may be seen in Saskatchewan during the breeding season. Bird watchers in the province have reported them to be seen in 3% of their summer checklists.
The Great Blue Heron is the biggest heron native to North America, and it is a big bird.
Their face is white, with a black plume extending from their foreheads to the back of their heads. Yellow-orangish is the color of their bills.
Their bodies are grayish-blue, and their legs are long and gray. Their necks are lengthy, 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 have Great Blue Herons that stay throughout the year, but they migrate south during breeding season.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a white morph variant of the Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Herons may be found in a variety of wetland habitats. 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’ diets.
When wading or standing in water, they capture their prey. Hovering over water, diving into it, leaping feet-first from perches, and floating on the water’s surface are all options.
Great Blue Heron colonies, located high in trees near to water, contain nests. Twigs and sticks are taken to build the nests, which are then lined with material.
Great Blue Herons can refurbish and expand their nests over time, resulting in the nests growing in size over time.
Because Great Blue Herons reuse their nests, they may expand and develop them over time, increasing the nest’s size.
After that, the female produces two to seven eggs. For about four weeks, both parents incubate the eggs.
Fun Fact: Great Blue Herons use their large wings to create spectacular flying displays, with their heads thrown back, to protect their feeding area.
2. Black-crowned Night-Heron
In the summer, 1% of checklists include Black-crowned Night-Herons, who spend the breeding season in southern Saskatchewan. From April to October, they are visible.
The typical description of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Herons. It has a smaller beak, neck, and legs than the other species.
The black caps 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 in color, whereas their eyes are red. The back is darker than the rest of their body. Yellow is the color of their legs and feet.
The overall color of juveniles is a 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 world is home to Black-crowned Night-herons. Before migrating south, they breed in the United States and Canada. A few can be found along the shorelines year-round.
In wetland environments such as shallow freshwater or brackish rivers, you may find Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also suitable for them.
Night-feeders, such as black-crowned night herons, eat whatever they can find, such as crayfish and fish and even turtles or worms.
In preparation for selecting their partners, males build nests of Black-crowned Night-herons, which are usually constructed in bushes or trees.
Following that, the female will lay up to seven eggs every two days. Over the next twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs as soon as they are placed. For roughly three weeks, the parents will be responsible for their child.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, DC has hosted a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons during the summer months.
3. American Bittern
From April to October, Saskatchewan is home to American Bitterns, which are found in 1% of summer checklists before moving south.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you’ll hear their peculiar watery boom calls before they appear. Below are some of the results.
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are chunky, medium-sized birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, they resemble the reeds they hide in, and their ability to remain still among the reeds with their head tilted up, they appear to be reeds.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that turn orange during courtship.
- Botaurus lentiginosus
- Length: 23 in (58 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz (726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 – 50 in (107 – 127 cm)
Before heading to the Gulf Coast and Mexico, American Bitterns breed in Canada and northern US states.
Look for them by focusing your eyes on the margins of lakes and ponds amid coarse vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait motionlessly and quietly among the reeds, ready to pounce on their victim as it approaches.
American Bitterns’ nests may be discovered among coarse vegetation on the water’s edge. Using available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants, females select a nest site and construct it themselves.
They incubated seven eggs for roughly twenty-six days before laying them. The females feed the chicks straight into their beaks when they are born. They leave the nest after two weeks and are fully developed in six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Similar to the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
4. Great Egret
In Saskatchewan, Great Egrets are not particularly frequent, however during the breeding season, several have been seen in the southeast of the province.
Males have neon green facial skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) extending from their backs to their tails during the breeding season, which they display during courting like a peacock does with its tail. Great Egrets are at their best then.
They’re known as Great White Herons because they’re enormous, all-white herons. Common egrets are a term used to describe them. These huge birds feature long, black legs and feet, as well as dagger-like, long bills.
Males, females, and juveniles of all ages have the same appearance.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
The Great Egret has a global range. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay throughout the year, while others travel south as they go farther inland.
Great Egrets may be found in watery and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, but they are most common in freshwater.
Fish, frogs, tiny mammals, crustaceans, and insects are the main foods of Great Egrets. The Great Egrets will stand motionless on the water, waiting and scouting for their prey before striking and spearing it with their long bills.
In colonies, Great Egret nests may be found. To safeguard the nests from predators like raccoons, they are typically hung high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Marsh plant sticks, twigs, and stems were used to create them. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty-five days, which they lay in groups of up to six.
Fun Fact: Because of their long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was almost hunted to extinction.
5. Cattle Egret
Cattle Egrets are a rare sight in Saskatchewan, however they were observed near Quill Lake in 2019.
Cattle Egrets use a clever technique of capturing their meal: they stand on the backs of cattle, which moves and displaces the earth, allowing them to capture the startled prey.
With white bodies and faint orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs, Cattle Egrets are small short-necked egrets.
Their irises and cheeks are golden yellow. They have short greenish-black legs with yellow bills. Males and femen look similar.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets’ color changes and they become more visible, particularly on their legs and face.
The pale orange patches on their breasts become deeper during the breeding season. At the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises turn 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)
Cattle Egrets may be found all around the world, although those in Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southern US states stay throughout the year.
Those, on the other hand, that breed farther north, mostly in the eastern United States, migrate south after breeding.
Cattle Egrets may be seen in native grasslands, pasture, agricultural fields, and rice fields when there are hoofed animals 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 grounds, dumps, and parks are among the places they can be found.
Insects, largely grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths make up the diet of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are among the other foods they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are frequently created in woodlands near lakes or rivers, on small islands, and out of sticks and reeds.
The female lays nine eggs, which are incubated for approximately twenty-five days. The young take around 45 days to fledge, develop fully independent from their parents, and reach maturity.
Fun Fact: Rather than correcting for light refraction when feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to tolerate foraging on land with binocular vision.
6. Green Heron
In Saskatchewan, green herons are considered an accidental species, and they are very uncommon. In 2019, however, they were discovered in Regina and Saskatoon.
The glossy green-black color of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons gives them their name, but if you get closer they seem bent and gloomy.
In the breeding season, their bills turn black, with two-toned dark on top and yellow at the bottom. Their irises and legs likewise change color from yellow to orange.
Chestnut or maroon is the color of their heads, necks, and breasts. A white stripe runs down the front length of the neck, with a black border. Their bellies are grey in color.
Browner and with a greater crest than adults, juveniles have browner caps.
- 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 the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast. Those on the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Mexico, on the other hand, are permanent.
Swamps, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other wet environments with deep vegetation are home to Green Herons. They may stay in dry woods or orchards if there are water sources nearby, even though they prefer coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rodents make up Green Herons’ diet. Rather of wading, they usually hunt from shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are usually constructed of long, slender twigs high in the trees near water, although they may also be found beneath shrubbery on the ground.
Females deposit up to six eggs every two days. The final egg is placed, and incubation begins and lasts around twenty days. Both parents incubate the eggs. When their eggs hatch, they feed their young.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, are used by green herons to catch their prey, which is one of the few bird species that does. (Davis and Kushlan 1994).
7. Snowy Egret
In Saskatchewan, the snowy egret is an accidental species. They were last seen in Saskatoon in 2020 and are very uncommon in the province.
Little, all-white herons named Snowy Egrets, as the name implies. They have long, black bills, long, black legs, and bright yellow feet with yellow irises and skin around their eyes.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs throughout the breeding season. During courting, their lores or facial skin become reddish-pink, and their toes turn orange-red.
Surprisingly, during aggressive encounters, these portions of their bodies become brilliantly crimson.
Adults have head plumes, but juveniles do not. Lores and legs are more greenish-yellow, and the colors on their bills and legs are lighter.
- 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 migrate from all states. Throughout Mexico, Central, and South America, they stay throughout the year.
Snowy Egrets may be found in marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries throughout shallow and wetland environments. They favor swampland with protective trees and plants for nesting.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They may keep still and wait for prey to come to them, or they may stir up the water in order for their prey to surface so that they can easier capture it.
Males pick the nests of Snowy Egrets. They choose a spot and advertise themselves to their prospective mates. Males continue to offer sticks, sedges, or reeds while the female creates the nest when they couple up.
Nests are most commonly found in trees or shrubs on the ground, concealed. Both parents take turns incubating their eggs after the female lays two to six eggs. The average incubation period is twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, which were often used as a hat adornment or accessory, snowy egrets were nearly hunted to extinction.
8. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In Saskatchewan, yellow-crowned night-herons are a uncommon or accidental species, having last been observed in Saskatoon in 2021.
The yellow crowns of adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons are topped by two plumes. Their black beaks make them look like huge birds. Their skulls are black except for a little white patch on the sides beneath their eyes.
As they grew up, their eyes change from yellow to orange to red.
Their wings have a scaled pattern, and their bodies are gray-blue. During the breeding season, their legs become coral, pink, or red and are covered in yellow.
Grayish-brown juveniles with white streaks and specks. They take three years to reach adulthood.
- Nyctanassa violacea
- Length: 22 – 28 in (56 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz ( 726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 0 44 in (107 – 112 cm)
Before flying south, yellow-crowned night-herons breed mostly in the southern United States. They may be found in Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America all year.
In coastal regions with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and good feeding opportunities, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons during day and night.
Crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-heron’s diets. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, mice, and birds are among the animals they consume. Little prey can be devoured instantly by them.
Crabs are frequently gutted and stabbed through the body.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in small, loose colonies, which is common. Both parents construct the nests from softened sticks and twigs, which are collected from grass, leaves, or moss.
After that, she lays up to eight eggs and coexhibits them for three weeks. The chicks are fed by regurgitation when they hatch. In roughly a month, they fledge and are able to fly on their own at the age of fifty.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can kill horses and people, is carried by the yellow-crowned night-heron.
9. Tricolored Heron
In Saskatchewan, Tricolored Herons are an accidental species. They can only be found near Quill Lake in 2017, and they are extremely rare in the province.
With its white belly and neck stripe, a Tricolored Herons can easily be distinguished from other herons.
Non-breeding adults have a combination of blue-gray, purple, and white feathers. Their bills are yellowish or greyish with a black tip. Their legs and feet are yellow or olive green.
Adults with blue-gray, purple, and white feathers are non-breeding. Yellowish or greyish in color, with a black tip, their bills are. They have yellow or olive green legs and feet.
The back of the head of breeding adults is likewise covered in thin, white feathers, and their bill becomes blue at the base. On their necks and backs, they have more delicate feathers. Their legs, too, turn crimson in hue.
The neck, upper breasts, upper back, and wings of juveniles are more reddish-brown.
- 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 stay throughout the year. Those that breed further north migrate south as far as the Atlantic Coast.
Tricolored Herons may be found in freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps.
In freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps, you may see Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are aggressive when it comes to protecting their feeding sites. Other wading birds will be chased away, and they will love to consume little fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects.
Stalking, chasing, standing, and waiting for their victim are all common behaviors. Before striking, they squat low in the water, with their bellies and necks protruding above the surface.
Tricolored Heron nests are built in colonies on trees and shrubs, made of sticks. The female lays three to five eggs, with both parents contributing to the three-week incubation period. They also feed their children.
Fun Fact: The Louisiana heron was the name given to the Tricolored Heron, and it is the only dark-colored heron with a white belly.
10. Little Blue Heron
Saskatchewan authorities believe that Little Blue Herons are an accidental species, and they were last sighted near Last Mountain Lake Bird Sanctuary in 2006, according to records.
Little Blue Herons in adulthood are much bigger than the little ones. With long, extended bodies, they range in size from medium to big. With hanging feathers over the nape, their heads and necks have a crimson color to them.
During breeding season, their eyes may turn gray-green, which is a light yellow color. Their two-toned bills are long and dagger-like, with black tips. The slate-blue color of their bodies Long and black to gray-green, their legs are long.
Before becoming a combination of dark gray, blue, and white, juvenile Little Blue Herons are totally white during their first year of life.
- Egretta caerulea
- Length: 24 – 29 in (61 – 74 cm)
- Weight: 16.22 oz (460 g)
- Wingspan: 40 – 41 in (102 – 104 cm)
Eastern US states are home to Little Blue Herons before they migrate south, but those in the Gulf States and Mexico stay in place throughout the year.
Little Blue Herons may be seen in swamps, marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, fish hatcheries, or flooded fields where they congregate around water.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more elegant manner. They just stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey, rather than dashing about across the water.
Little Blue Herons eat fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, spiders, crustaceans, mice, and insects. juveniles prefer to stay with mixed groups, while adults tend to forage alone.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed with sticks and, typically, other herons. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. For up to twenty-four days, both parents share in the incubation process.
Fun Fact: Because Juvenile Little Blue Herons are white in color, they may blend in with Snowy Egrets and increase their ability to capture additional fish and predators.
11. Least Bittern
In Saskatchewan, the Least Bitterns are a rare species that has only been seen once, in 2018 near Regina.
Little Herons in the Americas, Least Bitterns are difficult to detect amid the reeds since they are the tiniest herons.
The bill of these birds is yellow, and they are brown and white with a black cap and top. 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)
The Bitterns’ typical habitat is Europe and Africa, although they may wander into North America on occasion.
Least Bitterns may be found in thick freshwater and brackish marshlands, with many tall cattails and reeds. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They will instantly stiffen, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in tandem with the reeds when they perceive peril.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and even mice are included in the diet of Least Bitterns. They squat on the reeds, doing acrobatic contortions in order to reach their victim on the surface of the water.
Fun Fact: Least Bitterns have a long neck and typically sit with their head bent.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Saskatchewan In Summer And Winter
Using checklists, you can discover which birds are most often seen in your region. In Saskatchewan, in the summer and winter, these lists show which herons are most often seen on checklists.
Herons in Saskatchewan in summer:
Great Blue Heron 3.3%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1.5%
American Bittern 1.4%
Great Egret 0.2%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Snowy Egret <0.1%
Green Heron <0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%
Herons in Saskatchewan in winter:
Great Blue Heron <0.1%