California has a population of 10 of North America’s 17 species of herons. There are two more that are unusual or unintentional. This guide will assist you in identifying and understanding about these long-legged birds.
Herons are water-loving birds that will eat a quick meal from your backyard pond, whether it’s saltwater, freshwater, or even peering into it.
However, many of your fish herons are protected, so a net is your best option if you’re having trouble catching them.
Herons prefer to hunt alone by standing motionless and waiting or dashing about to excite the prey, which they do in huge colonies called heronries.
A collection of herons is dubbed “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” and “pose” among other things, which is a lot for a group of herons!
You should learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans that you may see here if you like seeing waterbirds in California.
12 Species Of Heron In California
1. Great Egret
Throughout the year, Great Egrets may be seen throughout California. Summer checklists and winter checklists submitted by bird watchers for the state contain 13% and 19%, respectively, of these birds.
Males have bright green face skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) protruding from their backs to their tails during mating season, much as a peacock displays out its tail. Great Egrets are at their best during this time of year.
They’re big, white herons that are often called Great White Herons because of their size. Common egrets are another name for them. These huge birds are white with dagger-shaped beaks, long, black legs and feet, and extremely long bright yellow bills.
Males, females, and juveniles of non-breeding age 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 global range of Great Egrets is tremendous. Those from the southern and coastal US regions stay throughout the year, whereas those from farther inland migrate south.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, but they’re more common in freshwater.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of Great Egret diets. Great Egrets stand still on the water, waiting for and scouting out their prey before striking and spearing it with their long bills.
Great Egret colonies are home to nests. To protect the nests from predators like raccoons, they are usually placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Marsh plant sticks and twigs, as well as their stems, are used to make them. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty-five days, which they lay up to six times.
Fun Fact: Because of their long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was nearly hunted to extinction.
2. Great Blue Heron
In California, Great Blue Herons can be found all year, and they are very common. Summer checklists include them in 13% of the lists, while winter checklists include them in 16%.
The largest heron native to North America, Great Blue Herons are enormous, magnificent birds.
Their face is white, with a black plume that extends from the front of their eyes to the back of their heads. They have a yellow-orangish bill.
Their bodies are grayish-blue, and their legs are long gray. Their necks are long, 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 the breeding season.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a white morph subspecies of the Great Blue Heron.
In many wetland habitats, you may see Great Blue Herons. Fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded marshes, lake edges, and shorelines are all places where they may be found.
Fish, frogs, salamanders, shrimps, crabs, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other aquatic insects are the primary foods of Great Blue Herons.
When wading or standing in water, they capture their prey. They may also leap from perches or float on the water’s surface, or hover over it while diving in.
Heron colonies, located high up in the woods near to water, are home to Great Blue Heron nests. The nests are lined with softer material and constructed of twigs and sticks.
Great Blue Herons may grow their nests in size by recreating and extending them over time, since they reuse their nests.
Two to seven eggs are laid by the female. For approximately four weeks, both parents alternate incubating the eggs.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, Great Blue Herons defend their feeding territory with spectacular wing spread shows.
3. Snowy Egret
Throughout the year, snowy egrets may be seen in California. Summer checklists have 11% of them, whereas winter checklists have 15%.
Little, all-white herons known as snowy egrets. They have long, black beaks, long, black legs, and bright yellow feet. They have yellow irises and skin around their eye.
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 change to orange-red.
Interestingly, during violent encounters, these sections of their bodies become bright red.
Without head plumes, juveniles are similar to adults. The lores and legs are likewise greenerish-yellow, and the colors on their bills and legs are also lighter.
- Egretta thula
- Length: 22 – 27 in (56 -69 cm)
- Weight: 16.75 oz (475 g)
- Wingspan: 39.4 in (100 cm)
With the exception of the Gulf Coast and southwest coasts, snowy egrets migrate across most US 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 as well as shallow, wetland habitats. They prefer marshy woodlands with canopy and vegetation for their nests.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are among the foods hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They might remain still and wait for prey to approach them, or they might agitate the water in order for their prey to surface.
The males select Snowy Egret nests for themselves. They choose a location and display themselves fully in order to attract mates. The males continue to furnish sticks, sedges, or reeds while the female assembles the nest when they couple up.
Nests are most commonly found in trees or on the ground, hidden in shrubs. Both parents alternate incubating their eggs after the female lays two to six eggs. The incubation period is usually twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, snowy egrets were almost exterminated due to their usefulness as a hat ornament or accessory.
4. Black-crowned Night-Heron
During the summer and winter checklists, black-crowned night-herons may be found in all of California.
The typical description of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Herons. It has a shorter beak, neck, and legs than most other species.
The black caps of adult Black-crowned Night-herons extend from a white line above the birds’ black beaks.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, and their eyes are red. The underside is pale, whereas the back is darker. Yellow is the color of their legs and feet.
The head and back become black during the breeding season, but two or three white feathers appear on the crown, and the black coloring fades to a glossy blue-green. The legs and feet turn red or pink, while the lores become black.
The juveniles have a dull grayish-brown coloration 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 migrating south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Others may be found along the seashores throughout the year.
Wetland habitats such as shallow freshwater or brackish rivers are home to Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats, such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also covered with them.
The males build nests for Black-crowned Night-herons in bushes or trees, which are started by the males in preparation for selecting their partners.
After that, the female will lay up to seven eggs every two days. After laying for around twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs. For roughly three weeks, the parents will care for the infant.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has hosted a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons during the summer months.
5. Green Heron
The green herons are most visible from July through September throughout California. Summer checklists have them at 5%, while winter checklists have them at 2%.
The glossy green-black color of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons makes them appear gloomy and dark from afar, but getting a closer look reveals that they are hunchbacked and black.
During the breeding season, their bills transform from two-toned to black, with a yellow top and a black bottom. Their irises and limbs turn orange as well, from yellow.
Chestnut or maroon are the colors of their heads, necks, and breasts. Along the front length of their neck, there is a white central stripe. Gray is the color of their stomachs.
Browner, with a darker cap and a crested head, juveniles are.
- Butorides virescens
- Length: 18 – 22 in (46 – 56 cm)
- Weight: 9.17 oz (260 g)
- Wingspan: 25 – 26 in (64 – 66 cm)
Before going south, Green Herons breed primarily in the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast. The Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and Mexico, on the other hand, are permanent.
Green Herons may be found in bogs, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other watery environments with thick vegetation. These may dwell in arid woods or orchards if there are water supplies nearby, despite preferring coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rodents make up the Green Heron’s diet. Rather of wading, they hunt from the shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are constructed of long, slender twigs high in the trees over water, although they may also be found on the ground covered by vegetation.
Females lay two eggs per day, at 2-day intervals, in a six-egg clutch. The last egg is deposited, and the parents begin incubating it, which takes approximately twenty days. When their eggs hatch, they both feed their offspring.
Fun Facts: Like bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, green herons are one of the few bird species that use tools for foraging. (Davis and Kushlan, 1994)
6. Cattle Egret
Cattle Egrets may be seen in California year-round, particularly in the state’s center and south.
Cattle Egrets utilize a clever method of capturing their meal…they stand on the backs of cattle, which enables them to capture the startled prey as they move and disturb the earth.
Cattle Egrets have white bodies and pale orange-brown markings on their heads, necks, and backs. They are tiny, short-necked egrets.
Their irises and skin around their eyes are yellow. Their bills are tiny, and their legs are greenish-black. Both men and women have a similar appearance.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egret feathers change color and become brighter, especially on their legs and face.
Their light orange patches become darker 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)
Cattle Egrets may be found all year round in the south of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southwestern US states, however their range extends across the globe.
Those who breed further north, primarily in the eastern United States, migrate south following breeding.
Cattle Egrets may be found in grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice paddies wherever hoofed animals are present.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic habitats, 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 places where they can be found.
Cattle Egret nests are often found in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on tiny islands and are constructed of sticks and reeds.
The female deposits up to nine eggs, which take around twenty-five days to hatch. The juvenile takes around 45 days to grow, fledge, and become completely self-sufficient from their parents.
Fun Fact: Instead of correcting for light refraction while feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to judge distance while foraging on land.
7. American Bittern
Throughout the year, California is home to American Bitterns.
In the spring of the American Bittern, you may hear those odd watery boom calls long before you see them, if you’re lucky. Below you’ll find some samples.
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are chunky, medium-sized birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, these resemble the reeds they hide in, and their ability to stay still amid the reeds with their head inclined up.
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.
Shallow freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds are home to American Bitterns.
Look for them amid the coarse vegetation along the edges of lakes and ponds.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They stealthily forage among the reeds, staying motionless and silent as they wait for their victim to get closer before darting forward quickly.
American Bitterns’ nests are hidden among coarse vegetation on the water’s edge. The nest site is chosen by females, who use available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants to construct it.
They lay up to seven eggs and spend around twenty-six days incubating them. The females feed the chicks straight into their beaks after they are born. They leave the nest after two weeks, and it takes six to seven weeks for them to be completely independent.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
8. Little Blue Heron
All year, Little Blue Herons may be seen in California, however they are most common between July and March.
Little Blue Herons aren’t that little when they’re adults. Their bodies are long and elongated, and they range in size from medium to large. With dangling feathers over the nape, their heads and necks have a purple hue.
During the breeding season, their eyes can change from pale yellow to gray-green. They have two-toned bills, with light blue or grayish tint and black tips. Slate-blue is the color of their bodies. Long, black to gray-green legs distinguish them.
Before flying south, Little Blue Herons breed in the eastern United States, then migrate to the Gulf Coast and Mexico for the winter.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons hunt in a more elegant manner. Rather than frantically running through the water, they stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey.
Little Blue Heron nests are built of sticks and, like other heron species, are found in colonies. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. Up to twenty-four days of incubation are shared by both parents.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ habit of congregating with Snowy Egrets allows them to capture more fish and gain additional protection from predators, thus they can be found among them.
9. Reddish Egret
In California, Reddish Egrets are a near-threatened species, but they are most often seen from July to March on the southern coast.
This is one of the greatest birds to observe because of Reddish Egrets’ dark pink and grayish-blue tones and frenzied chase after prey.
These birds exist in dark and light variations, with white variants being uncommon. They are called Reddish Egrets, but they are actually dark and light.
Blue-gray bodies and cinnamon-toned heads, necks, and breasts distinguish dark morph Reddish Egrets. Pink with a black tip, their bills are easy to spot.
The bodies of white morphs are completely white. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their legs and feet are blue-black, with a darker skin around (lores).
White morphs have totally white bodies. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their skin (lores) and legs and feet are blue-black, but they both have them.
Adults may also mate with either morph, and juveniles are likewise dark or white.
- Egretta rufescens
- Length: 27 – 32 in (69 – 81 cm)
- Weight: 15.9 oz (451 g)
- Wingspan: 46 in (117 cm)
From the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Mexico through northern South America, Reddish Egrets may be seen all year.
In open marine flats and beaches, you may see Reddish Egrets. Marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons are also home to them.
Reddish Egrets are mostly solitary creatures that forage and eat. In the hopes of catching fish, they cross shallow, flooded flats. They quickly stab fish in the beaks when they are successful in frightening them up.
Reddish Egret nests are commonly found in colonies and constructed of sticks by both parents. They’re often found on islands with close-by feeding grounds.
Both parents take twenty-five days to incubate the female’s eggs, which she lays up to seven of. Even after they leave the nest, they both care for their young and will feed them for up to nine weeks.
Fun Fact: The male will perform a head toss display and beak snapping during mating, when his feathers puff out and stand out on his head, neck, and back.
10. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In California, yellow-crowned night-herons are a uncommon or accidental species, but during migration season, they may be seen along the southern coast.
The crowns of adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons are yellow, with two plumes extending from the head. Their black bills dwarf those of other birds. Their remaining heads are black, with a little white patch on the sides just below their eyes.
As they grew up, their eyes changed color 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. They are long and yellow.
Grayish-brown juveniles with white streaks and spots cover their bodies. 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 primarily in the southeastern United States. Throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they stay all year.
In coastal places with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and excellent feeding opportunities, you may find Yellow-crowned Night-herons both at dawn and dusk.
Crustaceans like crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-herons’ diets. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rats, and birds are among the other foods they eat. Little prey can be devoured instantly by them.
Crabs are often cut open or dismembered.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in tiny, loosely formed colonies. Both parents build the nests out of soft sticks and twigs, which are collected from grass, leaves, or moss.
After that, she deposits up to eight eggs, which they hatch over three weeks. The chicks are fed through regurgitation when they hatch. They fledge after about a month and can fly on their own at the age of fifty days.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can kill horses and humans, is carried by the yellow-crowned night-heron.
11. Least Bittern
In California, least bitterns are uncommon, although they may be seen from May to September.
The smallest herons in the Americas, least bitterns are difficult to locate in the reeds and may be heard before they are seen.
With a black cap and yellow beak, they are brown and white hues with a dark cap and top. The claws and toes on their feet are long, allowing them to grasp the reeds.
Females and juveniles have lighter backs and crowns than males, but they are 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 habitat is Europe and Africa, but they may cross the Atlantic on occasion.
Least Bitterns may be found in dampland and brackish marshlands with plenty of tall cattails and reeds. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They’ll immediately stiffen up, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in rhythm with the reeds when they sense danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice make up the diet of the Least Bitterns. They put themselves on the reeds, doing acrobatic twists to reach their victim on the surface of the water. They do this in order to get close enough to eat them.
The female of Least Bitterns creates well-concealed nests from cattails and marsh vegetation, which are well-concealed platforms. For approximately twenty days, both parents incubate the eggs she lays up to seven. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: Lesser bitterns have lengthy necks and stay hunched.
12. Tricolored Heron
In California, Tricolored Herons are considered uncommon or accidental, but they have been seen atteched the coast throughout the year.
With its white belly and neck stripe, you can tell a Tricolored Herons from other herons immediately.
Adults with white feathers in addition to blue-gray, purple, and white feathers are non-breeding. Their bills are black at the end and are yellowish or greyish. Yellow or olive green are the legs and feet of these animals.
The base of the adults’ beaks turn blue as well, and they have thin white feathers extending from the back of their heads. Their necks and backs have finer feathers as well. Their legs, too, become reddish in color.
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)
The Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America are home to tricolored Herons all year. Those who breed farther north in the Atlantic Coast go south as they age.
In freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps, you may spot Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons defend their feeding grounds and are solitary feeders. Other wading birds that wish to feed on their area and adore tiny fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects will be chased away by them.
They’ll be stalking, chasesafterg, standing, and waiting for their victim. Before striking, they crouch low in the water with their bellies brushing against the surface and their necks drawn in.
Heron nests are created from sticks and may be found in woods and shrubs in colonies. The female lays three to five eggs, and the male and female take turns incubating them over a period of three weeks before they hatch. The young 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 California In Summer And Winter
Checklists are a valuable tool for discovering which birds are most frequently seen in your region. In California, in the summer and winter, these tables display which herons are most often seen on ebird checklists.
Herons in California in summer:
Great Blue Heron 13.9%
Great Egret 13.2%
Snowy Egret 11.9%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 7.2%
Green Heron 5.0%
Cattle Egret 0.6%
American Bittern 0.6%
Least Bittern 0.4%
Little Blue Heron 0.3%
Reddish Egret 0.3%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 0.3%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Herons in California in winter:
Great Egret 19.6%
Great Blue Heron 16.6%
Snowy Egret 15.3%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 6.6%
Green Heron 2.2%
Cattle Egret 0.8%
American Bittern 0.5%
Reddish Egret 0.4%
Little Blue Heron 0.4%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 0.3%
Least Bittern 0.1%
Tricolored Heron 0.1%