Nevada has been home to eight of the 17 species of herons that live in North America on a regular basis. There are four more that are uncommon or unintentional. This guide will teach you about these long-legged birds and help you identify them.
Herons are birds that like to eat at both saltwater and freshwater, as well as spying at your own pond for a quick snack.
Nonetheless, many of your fish herons are protected, and a net is your best option if you’re having problems.
Herons prefer to hunt alone, standing perfectly still and waiting for prey or dashing about to stir up the scent. They often build enormous colonies called heronries.
A collection of herons is referred to as a “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” or “pose” by a surprising number of names, to name a few.
You should learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans you may see in Nevada if you like seeing waterbirds.
12 Species Of Heron In Nevada
1. Great Blue Heron
During migration and winter, Great Blue Herons are seen in Nevada all year. They are seen on 14% of the state’s summer and winter checklists, according to birdwatchers’ reports.
The biggest heron native to North America, Great Blue Herons are enormous, majestic birds.
Their face is white, and their plume or crest extends from the front of their eyes to the back of their heads. Yellowish-orangish is the color of their bills.
The front of their necks are streaked with black and white, and the rest of their bodies are grayish-blue. Their legs are long as well.
- Ardea herodias
- Length: 46 – 52 in (117 – 132 cm)
- Weight: 128 oz (3628 g)
- Wingspan: 77 – 82 in (196 – 208 cm)
Most states in the United States have Great Blue Herons, although they migrate south during breeding season in the Mid-West and Canada.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a white morph variation 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 are the main diet of Great Blue Herons.
While wading or standing in water, they capture their prey. They may also dive into the water, spring from perches feet-first, or float on the surface of the water.
The colonies of Great Blue Herons are located high up in trees near to water, and their nests are found there. Twigs and sticks are used to construct the nests, which are lined with softer material.
Great Blue Herons may expand and maintain their nests over time, resulting in the nests growing in size.
After that, the female lays two to seven eggs. Over four weeks, both parents incubate the eggs at the same time.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, great blue herons use dramatic wing outstretched displays to protect their feeding area.
2. Great Egret
Throughout the year, Great Egrets may be seen in Nevada. Summer checklists have them at 4%, while winter checklists have them at 7%.
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 are Great White Herons because they are huge, all-white herons. Common egrets are another name for them. White with dagger-like, long, brilliant yellow beaks and long, black legs and feet, these enormous birds are elegant.
Mature males, females, and juveniles all 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 can be found all throughout the globe. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay there all year, while those in the interior and Canada migrate south.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, throughout the year.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of Great Egret’s diet. Great Egrets are found standing still on the water, anticipating and spying on their prey, before striking and spearing it with their long bills.
Great Egret colonies have nests. To protect the nests from predators like raccoons, they are usually placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Marsh plant sticks, twigs, and stems are used to make them. Females lay six eggs, and both parents care for them for around twenty-five days before they hatch.
Fun Fact: Because of its enormous white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was practically wiped out until it was reintroduced in 1963.
3. Black-crowned Night-Heron
All year, Nevada is home to Black-crowned Night-Herons. Summer checklists have a 4% incidence, while winter checklists have a 7% incidence.
The typical description of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Herons. It has a shorter bill, neck, and legs than the Great Egret.
Black caps that extend from a white line above the black bills of adult Black-crowned Night-herons.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, and their eyes are red. Underneath, they’re white, but on the back, they’re black. Yellow is the color of their legs and feet.
The head and back become glossy blue-green during the breeding season, with two or three white feathers appearing on the crown. The legs and feet turn red or pink, as does the lores.
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 is enormous. Before moving south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Many are found along the shore year-round.
Wetland environments such as shallow freshwater or brackish rivers are good places to look for Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also utilized to house them.
Black-crowned Night-herons feed on crayfish and fish, as well as turtles or worms, and are night-feeders who feed on whatever they can find.
In preparation for selecting their mates, male Black-crowned Night-herons build nests in bushes and trees, which are initiated by them.
After that, the female will lay up to seven eggs every two days. For around twenty-four days after the eggs are deposited, both parents begin to incubate them. For approximately three weeks, the parents will care for their infant.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has hosted a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons throughout the summer.
4. Snowy Egret
Snowy Egrets are mostly seen in Nevada throughout the breeding season and during migration, despite reports of sightings all year.
The little, all-white herons known as Snowy Egrets are named for the fact. Their irises are yellow, with a skin surrounding the eye, lengthy black beaks, lengthy black legs, and brilliant yellow foot.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courting, their lores or facial skin become reddish-pink, and their toes turn orange-red.
Interestingly, during aggressive interactions, these regions of their bodies turn bright red.
Adults and juveniles have head plumes, but not juveniles. Lores and legs are more greenish-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 migrate throughout most states. They can be found across Mexico, Central America, and South America all year.
Snowy Egrets may be seen in marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries throughout shallow, wetland environments. They favor damp woods with guard trees and flora for breeding.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They may rest quietly while awaiting prey to come to them, or they may agitate the water in order for their prey to surface and be easier for them to capture.
Snowy Egret males choose nests. They choose a spot and display themselves in their full glory to attract mates. The guys continue to offer sticks, sedges, or reeds while the ladies construct the nest when they get together.
In trees or hidden in low bushes, nests are typically found. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs once they are laid by the female. The incubation period is normally twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, which were ideal for women’s hats, Snowy Egrets were nearly hunted to extinction.
5. Green Heron
Herons may be observed in southern Nevada throughout the year. Summer and winter checklists have a 2% chance of containing them.
The glossy green-black coloring of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons makes them stand out from a distance, but you have to get up close to see this. Green herons appear bent and gloomy.
In the breeding season, their bills turn black and are two-toned: dark on top and yellow at the bottom. Their iris and legs likewise shift from yellow to orange.
Browner, with black heads and a crested appearance, adults are paler.
- Butorides virescens
- Length: 18 – 22 in (46 – 56 cm)
- Weight: 9.17 oz (260 g)
- Wingspan: 25 – 26 in (64 – 66 cm)
Before moving south, green herons breed primarily in the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast. Those, however, remain all year along the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
Green Herons can be found in bogs, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other wet environments with thick vegetation. They may stay in dry woods or orchards if there are water sources nearby, despite their preference for coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rodents make up the Green Heron’s diet. Instead of wading, they typically hunt from the beach by perched on sticks over the water.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rodents make up the Green Herons’ diet. Rather of wading, they hunt from the shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are generally built on high in the trees above water, but some may also be hidden under shrubs on the ground.
Females lay two-day intervals of six eggs. The final egg is deposited, and the parents begin incubating it after around twenty days. When their eggs hatch, they both feed their young.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves are used by green herons to catch their food, which is one of the few bird species that do so.
6. Least Bittern
During the breeding season, Least Bitterns may be found in southern Nevada.
The smallest herons in the Americas are Least Bitterns, which are difficult to detect amid the reeds.
Their beaks are brown and white, with a black crown and a black top to their bright yellow beak. 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’ normal range is Europe and Africa, with a few exceptions made for North America.
In dense freshwater and brackish marshlands with many tall cattails and reeds, you can find Least Bitterns. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They’ll instantly stiffen, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in tune with the reeds when they sense danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and periodically mice are all part of the least bitterns’ diet. They stand on the reeds, doing acrobatic twists and contortions to get to their victim in the water’s surface.
The female builds well-concealed nests of Least Bitterns out of cattails and marsh plants. Both parents incubate her seven eggs for around twenty days, and she lays them up to seven times. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: The neck of the Least Bittern is long, although it usually sits in a hunchbacked posture.
7. American Bittern
During migration, Western Nevada is home to a lot of American Bitterns, but they are not particularly common.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re fortunate, you may hear their unusual watery boom calls before they are visible. Below you’ll find a few videos.
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are robust, medium-sized birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, they resemble the reeds they hide in, and their ability to stay motionless amid the reeds with their head tilted up, they appear like them.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that change orange during courting.
- 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.
Shallow, freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds are home to American Bitterns nearly exclusively.
Look around the margins of lakes and ponds for them, especially amid dense vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait quietly and still among the reeds, snatching their victim as it approaches them in their beaks.
On the water, among coarse vegetation, American Bittern nests may be found. Females pick a location on the ground and construct it with available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other flora.
They produce up to seven eggs, which are kept for approximately twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks straight into their beaks when they’re born. They leave the nest after two weeks and are completely grown after six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
8. Cattle Egret
Cattle Egrets are rare in Nevada, although they do pass through the state on their way south.
Cattle Egrets utilize a clever approach of capturing their meals: they perch on the backs of cattle, catching the fleeing prey as the cattle roam and disturb the earth.
Cattle Egrets have white bodies with faint orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs. They are small, short-necked egrets.
They have yellow irises and face skin. Their bills are small, and their legs are greenish-black. Males and females have identical features.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egret color changes, becoming brighter in areas such as their legs and face.
Their pale orange patches become darker orange during the breeding season. At the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises become bright red, and their facial 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)
The range of Cattle Egrets extends across the globe, but they are only found in Mexico’s south, the Gulf Coast, and southwestern US states throughout the year.
Those that breed farther north, mostly in the eastern United States, migrate south after breeding.
Cattle Egrets may be found in open grasslands, grazing pastures, growing fields, and rice fields where 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 also possible habitats for them.
Insects, primarily grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths are the main foods of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are among the animals they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are frequently created in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on tiny islands. They are constructed out of sticks and reeds.
The female lays ten eggs, which take around twenty-five days to hatch. The young take roughly 45 days to mature, fledge, and become completely self-sufficient from their parents.
Fun Fact: Rather of correcting for light refraction while feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to forage on land by having binocular vision.
9. Tricolored Heron
In Nevada, tricolored herons are considered uncommon or accidental creatures, and only one was seen near Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve in 2022.
The white belly and neck stripe of Tricolored Herons distinguishes it from other herons.
Adults that are not breeding have a mixture of blue-gray, purple, and white feathers. They have a black tip on their yellowish or greyish bills. Yellow or olive green is the color of their legs and feet.
The back of the heads of breeding adults are likewise covered in thin, white feathers, and their bill becomes blue at the base. Feathers on their necks and backs are alsoarser. Their legs, too, turn a reddish color.
In the neck, upper breasts, upper back, and wings of juveniles, the reddish-brown color is more prominent.
The neck, upper breasts, upper back, and wings of juveniles are more reddish-brown in color.
- 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 seen all year. Those who breed farther north in the Atlantic Coast migrate south.
In freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps, you may see Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are protective of their feeding grounds and feed alone. Other wading birds that wish to eat tiny fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects will be chased away from their area by them.
These guys are expected to stalk, chase, stand, and wait for their victim. Before striking, they crouch low in the water with their bellies touching the surface and their necks drawn in.
Heron nests are created out of sticks and are found in trees and shrubs in colonies. The female lays three to five eggs, and the eggs are incubated for three weeks by both parents. The youngsters 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.
10. Reddish Egret
In Nevada, Reddish Egrets are an uncommon sight and have been designated as an accidental species. Crescent Island, on the other hand, has been seen recently.
The reddish Egrets’ dark pink and grayish-blue hues, as well as their frantic flying in pursuit of fish, make this one of the most appealing species to observe.
Reddish Egrets come in dark and light morphs, but white morphs are uncommon. Despite their name, they are not completely reddish.
Blue-gray bodies and cinnamon-toned heads, necks, and breasts characterize dark morph Reddish Egrets. Their bills have a black tip and are pink in color.
The bodies of white morphs are totally white. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their skin (lores) is darker around their legs and feet. They are both blue-black in color.
Adults will also mate with both morphs, which include juveniles that are dark or white.
- Egretta rufescens
- Length: 27 – 32 in (69 – 81 cm)
- Weight: 15.9 oz (451 g)
- Wingspan: 46 in (117 cm)
Down to northern South America, Reddish Egrets may be found throughout the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Mexico.
In open marine flats and beaches, you may spot Reddish Egrets. Marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons are also home to them.
Reddish Egrets are generally solitary feeders and foragers. In the hopes of catching fish, they cross shallow, flooded flats. They quickly stab fish with their beaks after they’ve successfully scared them up.
Reddish Egret nests are frequently found in colonies and are constructed by both parents. They’re commonly seen on islands with surrounding fishing grounds.
Both parents take twenty-five days to incubate the female’s seven eggs. They will feed their young for up to nine weeks after they leave the nest, and they both care for the young.
Fun Fact: The male will give a head toss display and snap his beak during mating, with his feathers puffing out and standing out on his head, neck, and back.
11. Little Blue Heron
In Nevada, Little Blue Herons are an accidental species. They were last seen at Clark County Wetlands Park in 2021 and are extremely rare in the state.
Little Blue Herons are not as little as they seem. With long, stretched bodies, they range in size from medium to big. With dangling feathers over the nape, their heads and neck have a purplish tint.
During the breeding season, their eyes may become gray-green. Their two-toned bills are long and dagger-shaped, with black tips. They are pale blue or grayish. Slate-blue skin covers their arms and legs. They have long, black to gray-green legs.
Before becoming a combination of dark gray, blue, and white, juvenile Little Blue Herons are completely white throughout their first year.
- Egretta caerulea
- Length: 24 – 29 in (61 – 74 cm)
- Weight: 16.22 oz (460 g)
- Wingspan: 40 – 41 in (102 – 104 cm)
In the eastern United States, Little Blue Herons breed before heading south, while those in the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico remain year-round.
Little Blue Herons may be found near water, such as marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, and fish hatcheries.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more graceful motion. They just 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 make up the Little Blue Heron’s diet. Adults prefer to forage alone, whereas juveniles prefer to mix with other groups.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed of sticks and are usually found in groups with other herons. Six eggs are laid by the female. Incubation occurs in both parents for up to twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of the Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ white color, they may attract more fish and have added defense from predators since they may be seen among Snowy Egrets.
12. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In Nevada, yellow-crowned night-herons are an accidental species, having only been spotted around Clark County Wetlands Park in 2021, according to records.
Yellow crowns with two plumes protruding from the heads of adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons. Their black bills are noticeable. Their sides below their eyes are adorned with a little white patch, which is the remainder of their heads.
As they grew up, their eyes turned from yellow to orange to red.
Their wings have a scaled pattern and their bodies are gray-blue. During the breeding season, their legs elongate and turn coral, pink, or crimson.
Grayish-brown with white streaks and spots, juveniles begin life that way. To reach adulthood, they need three years.
- 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 southern United States. They spend the whole year in Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America.
In coastal areas with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and strong edges on which to feed, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons at daybreak and dusk.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons eat mostly crustaceans like crabs and crayfish in their diet. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rats and birds are among the other foods they consume. Little prey can be devoured by them immediately.
Crabs are often found with their bodies cut or stabbed.
Little, loose colonies of Yellow-crowned Night-herons are common, but they always construct nests near water. Both parents construct the nests out of grass, leaves, or moss-softened sticks and twigs.
They then incubate up to eight eggs for three weeks together. The chicks are fed by regurgitation when they hatch. In around a month, they fledge, and at fifty days old, they can fly on their own.
Fun Fact: A deadly mosquito-borne virus (eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus) may kill horses and people, as can yellow-crowned night herons.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Nevada In Summer And Winter
Checklists are a fantastic way to learn which birds you may commonly see in your region. During summer and winter in Nevada, these lists show the most commonly spotted herons on ebird checklists.
Herons in Nevada in summer:
Great Blue Heron 5.6%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 4.8%
Great Egret 4.4%
Snowy Egret 3.2%
Green Heron 2.1%
Least Bittern 0.7%
American Bittern 0.5%
Cattle Egret 0.2%
Tricolored Heron 0.1%
Reddish Egret <0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Herons in Nevada in winter:
Great Blue Heron 14.5%
Great Egret 7.6%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 7.4%
Snowy Egret 4.1%
Green Heron 1.7%
American Bittern 0.4%
Least Bittern 0.2%
Cattle Egret <0.1%