In North America, Canada has spotted eight of the seventeen species of herons that are commonly found there. There are seven more that are uncommon or happen by chance. This guide will assist you in identifying and understanding the characteristics of these long-legged birds.
Herons, which may be found in saltwater, freshwater, or even peering into your own yard pond for a quick meal, are water-loving birds.
Nonetheless, since many of your fish herons are protected, a net is the best way to catch them if you’re having issues.
Herons, which prefer to hunt alone by standing motionless and waiting or by darting about to disorient the prey, frequently nest in large colonies known as heronries.
You may want to learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans that you may observe in Canada if you enjoy seeing waterbirds.
1. Great Blue Heron
Herons, particularly Great Blue Herons, are rather frequent in Canada, especially in the southern provinces during mating season. However, they may be seen all year on rare occasions.
In 14% of summer and 4% of winter checklists submitted by birdwatchers for the country, they are recorded.
The largest heron native to North America, Great Blue Herons are huge birds with a regal appearance.
From the front of their eyes to the back of their heads, they have a white face with a black crest or plume. Yellow-orangish bills adorn their heads.
Their grayish-blue bodies, grayish-blue necks with black and white streaking, and long gray legs are all characteristics of this species.
- 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 all year, but they migrate south during the breeding season in the Mid-West and Canada.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a white morph variant of the Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Herons can be found in a variety of wetlands. Fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded marshes, lake edges, and shorelines are all examples of places where they may be found.
Fish, frogs, salamanders, shrimps, crabs, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other aquatic insects make up the majority of Great Blue Herons’ diets.
While wading or standing in water, they capture their prey. They may also dive into the water, jump feet-first from perches, or float on the water’s surface.
Colonies of Great Blue Herons are located high up in trees near water, where they build nests. Twigs and sticks are used to build the nests, which are then lined with softer material.
Since Great Blue Herons reuse their nests, they may expand and embellish them over time, resulting in the nests becoming larger.
After that, the female lays two to seven eggs. For roughly four weeks, both parents incubate the eggs.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, Great Blue Herons protect their eating area with dramatic wing outstretched performances.
2. Great Egret
In Canada, the Great Egrets may be found in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. They may be found in 2% of summer checklists from April through October.
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 big, white herons that are sometimes known as Great White Herons because of their size. Common egrets are another name for them. These huge birds have long, black legs and feet, as well as dagger-like, long beaks.
Males, women, and juveniles of both sexes 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 world is home to Great Egrets, which have a huge range. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay there all year, whereas those in Canada go south as early as January.
Great Egrets may be found in marshes, tidal flats, and fish ponds, both freshwater and saltwater.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of the diet of Great Egrets. Great Egrets will stand stock-still on the water, waiting for their prey to come within range and be attacked and speared with their long bills.
Great Egret colonies are home to their nests. To protect the nests from predators like raccoons, they are often placed high up in trees on islands.
Sticks, twigs, and stems from marsh plants were used to make them. Females lay six eggs, which are incubated for around twenty-five days by both parents.
Fun Fact: Because of their long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was almost hunted to extinction. They were mostly utilized to embellish ladies’ hats.
3. Black-crowned Night-Heron
The breeding season for Black-crowned Night-Herons is spent in Canada’s southern provinces, where they are most common. From April to mid-November, they are seen on 2% of summer checklists, and they appear from April to mid-November.
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 other storks.
Black caps cover the heads of adult Black-crowned Night-herons, which extends above their black beaks.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, while their eyes are red. Underneath, they’re white, while on the rear, they’re black. Yellow is the color of their legs and foot.
Two or three white feathers appear on the crown during the breeding season, and the black coloring of the head and back turns to a glossy blue-green. The legs and feet become red or pink, and the lores turn black.
Juveniles have scattered and speckled markings on their dull grayish-brown skin.
- 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 stretches across the globe. Before migrating south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Along the coasts, some may be seen throughout the year.
Wetland communities such as shallow freshwater and brackish rivers are home to Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are likewise utilized to house them.
Night-feeders like black-crowned night-herons, which include crayfish and fish, among other things. They eat anything they can find at night.
The males build black-crowned night-heron nests, which they start in preparation for choosing their mates, in bushes or trees.
The female will then deposit 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 be responsible for the 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.
4. Green Heron
From May to September, Green Herons breed in Canada, mostly around the south of Ontario and Quebec. Summer checklists include them at a rate of 2%.
The glossy green-black coloring of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons attracts people’s attention when they appear hunched and dark from a distance.
These turn black in the breeding season, and their bills are two-toned with a dark top and a yellow bottom. Their irises and legs also change color from yellow to orange.
Chestnut or maroon are the colors of their heads, necks, and breasts. The front length of their neck has a white central stripe. Gray is the color of their bellies.
Browner, with blacker caps and a higher crest, juveniles
- 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 of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Mexico, however, last year.
Swamps, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other wet environments with dense vegetation are home to Green Herons. These 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 Herons’ diet. Instead of wading, they generally hunt from the shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are built high in the trees above water, although some may also be placed on the ground, concealed by vegetation.
Females lay two to six eggs every two days in a two-day period. The final egg is deposited and the parents begin incubating for around twenty days after that. When their eggs hatch, they both feed their young.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, are used by green herons for foraging. (Davis and Kushlan, 1994) This is one of the few bird species that does so.
5. American Bittern
From April to mid-October, American Bitterns are present in Canada, with the majority of their activity taking place in the country’s southern regions. Summer checklists include them at a rate of 2%.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you may hear them make bizarre watery boom calls before seeing them. Below are a few samples you can look at.
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are stout, 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 upwards adds to the illusion.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that change to 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.
In shallow, freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds, you may usually find American Bitterns.
Try to locate them by looking at the margins of lakes and ponds in dense vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and tiny mammals are among the foods of American Bitterns. They stealthily forage through the reeds, remaining motionless and silent as they wait for their victim to approach and then lunge forward swiftly to catch them.
American Bittern Calls: Listen to their strange watery boom calls. It’s one of the most bizarre birdcalls I’ve ever heard.
On the water, among coarse vegetation, American Bittern nests can be found. Females pick a location for the nest and construct it using available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants.
They deposit around seven eggs, which are incubated for approximately twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks straight into their beaks when they are born. They fled the nest after two weeks and are fully developed after six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
6. Least Bittern
During the summer, American Bitterns may be seen in Canada, particularly in Manitoba and Ontario. They arrive in April and begin migrating in August.
The tiniest herons in the Americas, least bitterns are difficult to detect amid the reeds because they are so small.
Their yellow beak is dark, with brown and white hues. They grip the reeds using their large toes and claws.
Females and juvenile males have lighter backs and crowns, 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)
Bitterns are found across Europe and Africa, but they may also be seen in North America on rare occasions.
Least Bitterns may be found in marshlands with numerous tall cattails and reeds, as well as dense freshwater. Search for them perched on reeds.
They’ll stiffen up, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in unison with the reeds as soon as they sense danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic insects, and occasionally mice are all part of the Less Bitterns’ diet. They climb up on the reeds and do acrobatic twists and contortions to reach their victims on the water’s surface.
Female Least Bitterns construct well-concealed nests out of cattails and marsh vegetation, which are well-concealed. She lays seven eggs, which her parents incubate for around twenty days. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: The neck of the Least Bitterns is rather long, although it is frequently bent.
7. Cattle Egret
In Canada, Cattle Egrets are considered a uncommon or accidental species, however they have been spotted in the country’s southeast regions.
Cattle Egrets use a clever technique to capture their prey…they stand on the backs of cattle, allowing them to catch the disturbed prey as they move and disturb the earth.
White bodies and light orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs distinguish Cattle Egrets, which are small, short-necked egrets.
Their eyes and cheeks are yellow in color. They have greenish-black legs and small, yellow bills. Males and femen look a lot alike.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets turn brighter, especially on their legs and face, and change color throughout the year.
Their pale orange patches darken in color during the breeding season. At the peak of their courtship, their bills, legs, and irises become a vivid crimson, with their face skin (lores) becoming 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 across the world, but they are all year in Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southwestern US states.
Those that breed farther north, mostly in the United States’ eastern regions, migrate south after breeding.
Cattle Egrets may be found in grasslands, pastures, grain fields, and rice paddies 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, sporting fields, garbage dumps, and parks are also possible locations for them.
Insects, mainly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths make up the food of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are among the animals they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are typically erected in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on little islands. They’re created of sticks and reeds.
Females lay up to nine eggs, which take roughly twenty-five days to hatch. The young take around 45 days to fledge, become completely independent of their parents, and reach adulthood.
Fun Fact: Rather than correcting for light refraction when feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have adapted to foraging on land by having binocular vision.
8. Snowy Egret
Although winters are mild in Canada, snowy egrets have been spotted on rare occasions in the country’s southeast during the summer and migration seasons.
Little, all-white herons named snowy egrets, as their name implies. They have long, black beaks, 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 during the breeding season. During courting, their lores (face skin) become reddish-pink, while their toes become orange-red.
Interestingly, during aggressive encounters, these parts of their bodies become bright red.
Head plumes are missing in juveniles, who resemble adults. Their bills and legs are also lighter, with lores and legs that are more greenish-yellow 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 across most US states. In Mexico, Central, and South America, they are present throughout the year.
Snowy Egrets may be found in marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries. They prefer shallow, wetland environments. Swamp forests with protective trees and bushes are where they like to nest.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all eaten by snowy egrets in shallow water. They may rest quietly while waiting for prey to arrive or make their prey easier to capture by disturbing the water.
The males choose a nest spot for Snowy Egrets. They pick a spot and put on a full show to attract their partners. The males continue to provide sticks, sedges, or reeds to the females while they are constructing the nest.
Nesting habits vary, but they are normally found in trees or shrubs on the ground. 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 exquisite white head feathers, which were especially useful as a woman’s hat decoration or accessory, the snowy egrets were nearly exterminated.
9. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In Canada, yellow-crowned night-herons are regarded as a uncommon or accidental species, although they have been seen on occasion while migrating in the south.
Yellow crowns with two plumes protruding from their heads distinguish adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons. Their bills are big, and they are black. Their chins are black, with a little white patch on the sides below their eyes. The remainder of their chins is black.
As they grew up, their eyes changed from yellow to orange to red.
Their wings have a scaled pattern and they are gray-blue in color. During the breeding season, their legs become coral, pink, or red. They are long and yellow.
Grayish-brown with white streaks and spots, juveniles begin life. 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 southern United States. Throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they stay throughout the year.
In coastal places with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and large edges on which to feed, you may find Yellow-crowned Night-herons at dawn 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 among the animals they consume. Little prey may be devoured immediately by them.
Crabs are frequently killed by being dismembered or stabbed.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons have small, loose colonies and build nests near water, which are frequently found in their nests. Both parents make nests out of soft sticks and twigs, which are made from grass, leaves, or moss.
After that, they lay up to eight eggs together and incubate them for three weeks. Chicks are fed by regurgitation when they hatch. They fledge after around a month and are able to fly on their own at fifty days.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can kill horses and people, is carried by the Yellow-crowned Night-heron.
10. Little Blue Heron
In Canada, Little Blue Herons are rare, but you may see them traveling across the country’s south.
Baby Little Blue Herons are not actually that little. With long, extended bodies, they range in size from medium to large. With dangling feathers over the nape, their heads and necks are a purple hue.
During the breeding season, their eyes can turn gray-green, which is a light yellow color. Two-toned – pale blue or grayish with black tips – their long, dagger-like bills are two-toned. They have slate-blue bodies. Long and dark to gray-green in color, their legs are long.
Before becoming a combination of dark gray, blue, and white, juvenile Little Blue Herons are completely white during 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)
Prior to migrating south, Little Blue Herons breed in the eastern United States, however those in the Gulf Coast and Mexico remain year-round.
Swamps, marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, fish hatcheries, and flooded fields are all habitats for Little Blue Herons.
Compared to other herons, little blue herons forage in a more elegant manner. These creatures merely 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 diet of Little Blue Herons. Juveniles prefer to stay with mixed groups, whereas adults tend to forage alone.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed of sticks and are generally found in groups with other herons. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. The incubation period is twenty-four days, and both parents share in it.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons have a white coloring that allows them to capture more fish and gain extra shelter from predators, so they are found among Snowy Egrets.
11. Tricolored Heron
In Canada, tricolored herons are considered a uncommon or unusual species, although there have been several reports in the summer in the southern provinces.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron distinguishes it from other herons.
Adults that are not breeding have a mix of blue-gray, purple, and white feathers. Their bills have a black tip and are yellowish or greyish. Yellow or olive green is the color of their legs and feet.
The back of the head and the base of the beak of breeding adults become blue, and their feathers are thin and white. In addition, their necks and backs have become more feathers. Their legs, too, become a reddish color.
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)
Herons of various colors may be found along the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America all year. Those who breed farther north in the Atlantic Coast move south as well.
In freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps, you can find Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are territorial of their feeding sites and feed alone. Other wading birds will be driven away from their area, and they will love to eat tiny fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects.
They’ll be stalking, pursuing, standing, and waiting for their victim. Before striking, they crouch low on the water, their bellies touching the surface and their necks drawn in.
Tricolored Heron nests are created of sticks and are found in trees and bushes. The female lays three to five eggs, and the parents take turns incubating them for three weeks before they hatch. They both breastfeed their infants as well.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron was formerly known as the Louisiana Heron.
12. Little Egret
In Canada, Little Egrets are an uncommon sight and have been declared an accidental species. In the southeastern provinces, there have been a few sightings.
Little Egrets’ backs of the heads, neck, and back are covered in wispy feathers during the breeding season. At the height of courtship, their face skin becomes red, and their feet become pink or red.
In addition, there are dark variants with a bluish-gray tint instead of white.
The juveniles are grayer/brownish and have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet than the adults. They appear the same.
- Egretta garzetta
- Length: 22 – 26 in (56 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 17.6 oz (499 g)
- Wingspan: 34 – 41 in (86 – 104 cm)
Little Egrets are common visitors to the United States and Canada, but they are only occasional visitors to Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Little Egrets may be seen in lakeshores, riverbanks, ponds, lagoons, marshes, and canals where they hunt in fish ponds.
Little Egrets either wait for fish to come or scare them out of the water as their primary food.
Little Egret nests are usually constructed on high up in the trees or shrubs, in reed beds or mangroves. They’re created of platform sticks. Males typically discover and transport the necessary materials, while women do the actual building.
The female lays up to six eggs, which are incubated by both parents for three weeks. For roughly two weeks, both parents look after their infants. Six weeks later, they fledge.
Fun Fact: Because of the desire for feathers for fashion at the time, Little Egrets became extinct in Ireland and Britain.
13. Reddish Egret
In Canada, Reddish Egrets are designated as a near-threatened species, with just a few records from around Ontario and Nova Scotia.
This is one of the best birds to watch because of Reddish Egrets’ dusky pink and grayish-blue tones, as well as their frantic chasing after fish.
They are actually dark and light morphs, but white morphs are uncommon, hence they are referred to as Reddish Egrets.
Blue-gray bodies and cinnamon-toned heads, necks, and breasts characterize dark morph Reddish Egrets. Pink with a black tip, their bills look nice.
The bodies of white morphs are completely white. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their legs and feet are blue-black, but they both have dark skin around (lores).
Adults can mate with either the dark or white juveniles.
- Egretta rufescens
- Length: 27 – 32 in (69 – 81 cm)
- Weight: 15.9 oz (451 g)
- Wingspan: 46 in (117 cm)
All throughout the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Mexico until northern South America, Reddish Egrets may be seen all year.
In open marine flats and beaches, you may spot Reddish Egrets. Marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons are also home to them.
Reddish Egrets are mostly seen foraging and feeding by themselves. In the hopes of catching fish, they cross shallow, flooded flats. They immediately stab fish with their beaks after they are successful in scaring them up.
Reddish Egret nests are frequently found in colonies, and both parents build them out of sticks. They are usually found on islands with nearby feeding grounds.
The female lays seven eggs, which are incubated by both parents for twenty-five days. They will feed their young for up to nine weeks and both care for the young even after they leave the nest.
Fun Fact: The male will perform a head toss display and beak snapping during mating, with his feathers puffing out and standing out on his head, neck, and back.
14. Gray Heron
In Canada, Gray Herons are an uncommon species that has been declared an accidental species. Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador are the only places where they have been spotted.
The Gray Heron is a big, wading species with ash-grey on top and grayish-white on the bottom, giving it its name.
Its neck is white with lengthy feathers down its chest, and its head is white and black. It has a lengthy, pinkish-yellow beak. It has a long, brown leg.
Females are generally smaller than males, but they look similar. The heads of juveniles are dull grey, the crowns are dark grey, and the whole body is grey.
The Great Blue Herons are bigger and have brown flanks and thighs, so the coloration of Gray Herons is similar to that of Great Blue Herons.
- Ardea cinerea
- Length: 33 – 40 in (84 – 102 cm)
- Weight: 35.2 – 73.6 oz (997 – 2085 g)
- Wingspan: 61 – 77 in (155 – 195 cm)
The typical habitat of the Gray Heron is Europe, Asia, and Africa, although they have increasingly been seen in North America.
Lakes, reservoirs, tiny and huge rivers, marshes, ponds, flooded regions, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and the seashore are all good places to see Gray Herons with water and fish.
Because of their huge size and ability to capture prey in the water at high speed, gray herons are considered apex predators.
When they’re within striking range, they strike precisely and delicately with their long, muscular bills, and they can be extremely quiet as they watch their prey.
On land, the bill of bigger animals is used to stab them and force them into submission.
Before being consumed entirely (sounds horrible!), they drown or suffocate their victim or break their necks.
Gray Heron nests are often found in high trees near water. Because they reuse their nests year after year, they tend to grow in size as more materials are added.
The nesting material is obtained by males, while the nests are constructed by females. After laying three to five eggs, the females leave them for approximately twenty-six days while the males incubate them. Parents regurgitate fish to feed their offspring when they emerge.
Fun Fact: Gray Herons fly with their heads pulled back and their lengthy necks bent into an S-shape, making it simple to tell them apart in the air. Herons with their necks stretched out are also flying.
15. Western Reef-Heron
In Canada, Western Reef-Herons are an accidental species. They’re uncommon in the nation, with just a few confirmed sightings near Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador.
The bill and neck of Western Reef Herons are long, and the legs are black. The feet are yellow. Their yellow feet become orange or red during the breeding season, and their bills become completely black. They also have two long feathers on their nape.
Dark and White are the two color morphs of the Western Reef Heron. The white Dark Morphs have white bodies, while the grayish-black ones have grayish-black. Their eyes are yellow, and their legs and feet are black.
- Egretta gularis
- Length: 22 – 26 in (56 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 14.1 oz (400 g)
- Wingspan: 40 – 43 in (102 – 109 cm)
While they may visit the United States on rare occasion, Western Reef Herons are typically found in Africa, Asia, and southern Europe. They may be found near the water’s edge.
Fish, crustaceans, amphibians, mollusks, tiny reptiles, and birds make up the Western Reef Heron’s diet. They’ll either stay motionless and wait for the prey to approach them or stir the shallow water with their feet to draw it nearer to the surface and capture it with their huge beaks.
Western Reef Heron nests are shaped like platforms and built of sticks and branches. The first egg is laid and the females begin to incubate it immediately. The eggs are incubated by both parents for twenty-four days before they hatch.
Fun Fact: In 1983, Nantucket Island was the first place in the United States where Western Reef Herons were spotted, but they have since been discovered on numerous other occasions.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Canada In Summer And Winter
Knowing which birds are commonly seen in your state can be found out using checklists. In Canada’s summer and winter checklists on ebird, these lists indicate which herons are most often seen.
Herons in Canada in summer:
Great Blue Heron 14.5%
American Bittern 2.4%
Green Heron 2.2%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2.1%
Great Egret 2.1%
Least Bittern 0.5%
Snowy Egret 0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Little Egret <0.1%
Gray Heron <0.1%
Western Reef-Heron <0.1%
Herons in Canada in winter:
Great Blue Heron 4.0%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.2%
American Bittern <0.1%
Great Egret <0.1%
Green Heron <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Snowy Egret <0.1%
Gray Heron <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Little Egret <0.1%