In Missouri, 11 of the 17 species of herons that live in North America have been discovered. That is a rare or unintentional additional 1. This guide will teach you about and identify these long-legged birds.
Herons are saltwater, freshwater, and even peering into your pond for a quick snack water-loving birds.
Nonetheless, many of your fish herons are protected, thus a net is the most effective strategy if you’re having trouble.
Herons prefer to hunt alone by remaining completely still and waiting for the prey or by dashing about to excite it, but they frequently nest in huge colonies called heronries.
A group of herons is referred to by a variety of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” and other terms that refer to the kinds of herons included in the group.
You should learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans you may see in Missouri if you like seeing waterbirds.
12 Species Of Heron In Missouri
1. Great Blue Heron
Throughout the breeding season, Great Blue Herons are plentiful in Missouri, but they may be seen throughout the year. They appear on 23% of summer and 9% of winter bird watcher checklists for the state, according to records.
The Great Blue Heron is the biggest heron native to North America, and it is a massive bird.
The front of their eyes to the back of their heads are black, and they have a white face with a black plume or crest. The color of their money is yellow-orangish.
Their bodies are grayish-blue, with long gray legs and long gray necks with black and white streaking in the front.
- Ardea herodias
- Length: 46 – 52 in (117 – 132 cm)
- Weight: 128 oz (3628 g)
- Wingspan: 77 – 82 in (196 – 208 cm)
Most US states have 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.
Great Blue Herons may be found in a variety of wetland situations. 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 foods of Great Blue Herons.
When wading or standing in water, they are able to capture their prey. They may also leap from perches feet-first, or float on the water’s surface. They may also hover above water, dive into it, and swim.
Great Blue Heron colonies are located high up in trees near water, where they build nests. Twigs and sticks are lined with softer material to make the nests.
Since Great Blue Herons reuse their nests, they may grow them in size by repairing and extending them over time.
After that, the female deposits two to seven eggs. The eggs are incubated for around four weeks by both parents.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, Great Blue Herons protect their feeding area with stunning outstretched wing displays.
2. Great Egret
During the breeding season, from mid-March to November, Great Egrets can be found in northern and western Missouri. Summer checklists include them at a rate of 10%. Nonetheless, throughout the year, some may be observed in the state.
Males have neon green facial skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) extending from their backs to their tails during the breeding season, and Great Egrets are at their best when they display them off during courting.
They’re massive, and hence known as Great White Herons, because they’re all-white. Common egrets are another name for them. These huge birds have dagger-shaped, long, bright yellow beaks, long black legs and feet. They are white in color.
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 Great Egret species is found all throughout the globe. Those from the southern and coastal United States stay throughout the year, while those from farther inland go south in winter.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, but they are more common in freshwater.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of the diet of Great Egrets. You might observe Great Egrets stand still on the water, waiting and investigating their meal before striking and skewering it with their lengthy beaks.
Great Egret colonies may be found with nests. To keep the nests safe from predators like raccoons, they are often placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
They’re made out of marsh plant stems and sticks and twigs. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty-five days, which they lay up to six.
Fun Fact: Because of its long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was on the verge of extinction. They were primarily used to adorn ladies’ hats.
3. Green Heron
From April through October, Green Herons breed in Missouri, accounting for 7% of summer checklists.
The glossy green-black color of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of Green Herons is what gives them their name; however, they appear stooped and dark from a distance.
They have two-toned bills that turn black during the breeding season, with a dark top and a yellow bottom. Their irises and legs, as well, turn orange.
Chestnut or maroon is the color of their heads, necks, and breasts. A white stripe runs down the front length of their neck, connecting to the rest of the body. Gray is the color of their bellies.
Browner, with a black head and a crest, juveniles look more mature.
- 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 primarily in eastern US states and the Pacific Coast. Nonetheless, they will remain throughout the year for those in the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and Mexico.
Swamps, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other wet environments with dense vegetation are all home to Green Herons. They may stay in dry woods or orchards if there are water sources nearby, despite preferring coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rats make up the diet of Green Herons. Rather of wading, they hunt from the shore by perched on sticks above the water.
Green Heron nests are built up in the trees over water, but they may also be left on the ground, hidden under shrubs. They are made of long, thin twigs.
Females lay two to six eggs every two days, in 2-day intervals. Only after the final egg is deposited does incubation commence, taking around twenty days in total. When their eggs hatch, they both give their babies food.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, are used by green herons for foraging. This is one of the few bird species that employs tools (Davis and Kushlan 1994).
4. Little Blue Heron
From mid-March to October, Missouri’s Little Blue Herons may be seen. They are found in 2% of summer checklists and breed mostly in the state’s southeast.
Little Blue Herons aren’t always that tiny. With long, extended bodies, they range from medium to huge. Their heads and necks are adorned with dangling feathers, giving them a purple appearance.
During the breeding season, their eyes can turn gray-green. They are light yellow in color. Two-toned – pale blue or grayish with black tips – their long, dagger-like beaks are two-toned. Slate-blue is the color of their skin. They have black to gray-green limbs that are long.
Before turning 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)
Little Blue Herons breed in the eastern United States before heading south, but those in the Gulf Coast and Mexico stay throughout the year.
Little Blue Herons may be found around bodies of 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 elegant manner. They simply stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey, rather than dashing about across the water.
Fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, spiders, crustaceans, mice, and insects make up the Little Blue Heron’s diet. Adults prefer to go alone, whereas juveniles prefer to remain with mixed groups.
Little Blue Heron nests are made out of sticks and are commonly found in groups with other herons. A female may lay up to six eggs. For up to twenty-four days, both parents share in the incubation process.
Fun Fact: The presence of Juvenile Little Blue Herons among Snowy Egrets allows them to capture more fish and gain additional protection from predators because of their white coloring.
5. Snowy Egret
In Missouri, particularly in the southeast of the state, snowy egrets breed. They start moving in October after arriving in mid-March.
Snowy Egrets are little, all-white herons that bear their name. Their irises are yellow, and their skin is around their eyes is long, with black bills and black legs. Their feet are bright yellow.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courting, their lore, or face skin, becomes reddish-pink, and their toes turn orange-red.
Interestingly, during aggressive encounters, these regions of their bodies become bright red.
Adults have head plumes, whereas juveniles lack them. Their bills and legs are also lighter in color, with lores and legs that are more greenish-yellow.
- Egretta thula
- Length: 22 – 27 in (56 -69 cm)
- Weight: 16.75 oz (475 g)
- Wingspan: 39.4 in (100 cm)
Marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries are all examples of shallow wetlands where you may find Snowy Egrets. Swamp woods with protective trees and plants are preferred for nesting.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They can rest quietly and hope for prey to come to them, or they may stir the water to bring their prey to the surface so that it is more evident for them.
Males choose Snowy Egret nests. They choose a spot and put on a full show in order to attract their mates. Males continue to provide sticks, sedges, or reeds while the female creates the nest when they couple up.
Nests are commonly spotted in trees or on the ground, hidden in shrubs. Both parents incubate their eggs, which the female lays two to six. The incubation period is typically twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, snowy egrets were almost hunted to extinction. They were used as a stunning decoration or accessory for women’s hats.
6. Black-crowned Night-Heron
From April to September, Black-crowned Night-Herons can be found in Missouri. During migration in the southeast, they are spotted breeding in northern Missouri.
The typical description of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Heron. It has a shorter bill, neck, and legs than most other birds.
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. They have a lighter back than the rest of their body. They have yellow legs and feet.
The black 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 become red or pink, and the lores turn black.
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 worldwide range of black-crowned night-herons is tremendous. Before moving south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Several may be found year-round along the beaches.
Wetland habitats such as shallow freshwater or brackish rivers are good places to find Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also used to house them.
Black-crowned Night-herons are night feeders who consume everything from crayfish to fish to even turtles or worms.
In preparation for selecting their partners, male Black-crowned Night-herons build nests in bushes or trees, which are started by them.
After that, the female will lay up to seven eggs every two days. For around twenty-four days, both parents begin incubating the eggs as soon as they are deposited. For around three weeks, the parents will look after their children.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, DC has housed a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons during their summer months.
7. Cattle Egret
In Missouri, Cattle Egrets may be seen from April through November, although they are rather rare.
Cattle Egrets use a clever technique of capturing their meal…they stand on the backs of cattle and catch the startled prey when the cattle shift and disturb the earth.
Cattle Egrets have white bodies and light orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs. They are small, short-necked egrets.
Their irises and cheeks are yellow in color. They have greenish-black legs and short, yellow bills. Males and females have similar looks.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets change color and become brighter, especially on their legs and face.
Their pale orange patches darken during the breeding season. At the peak of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises turn bright red, and the 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 throughout the globe, however those in Mexico’s south, the Gulf Coast, and the southwestern United States spend the whole year.
Those that breed farther north, particularly in the eastern United States, migrate south after breeding.
Cattle Egrets may be found in grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice fields where there are hoofed livestock.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic environments, such as riverbanks, ponds, and shallow marshes, while they prefer to remain on land and atop cattle. Golf courses, lawns, athletic fields, dumps, and parks are all other places where they may be found.
Insects, mostly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths are the main foods of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are also among the foods they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are generally created in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in swamps, or on tiny islands and are constructed of sticks and reeds.
The female lays nine eggs, which they guard for around twenty-five days while incubating them. The juveniles take roughly 45 days to develop, fledge, and become totally self-sufficient from their parents.
Fun Fact: Rather than correcting for light refraction when feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to tolerate hunting on land by having binocular vision to judge distance.
8. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
During migration, yellow-crowned night-herons are most common in Missouri, but during the breeding season in the south of the state, they have been seen.
Yellow crowns with two plumes protruding from the heads of adult yellow-crowned night herons. They have huge black bills. Their remaining heads are black, with a little white patch on the sides below their eyes.
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 lengthen and turn pink, coral, or red.
Grayish-brown with white streaks and spots, juveniles begin life that way. To reach adulthood, they have to spend 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 southern states. Throughout the year, they can be found in Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America.
In coastal places with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and solid edges on which to feed, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons both dawn and dusk.
Crustaceans like crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-heron’s diet. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rodents, and birds are among the other foods they consume. Little prey can be devoured in an instant.
Crabs are frequently dismembered and/or stabbed in their bodies.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in small, loose colonies, which are common. Both parents construct the nests from soft, leafy, or mossy sticks and twigs.
After that, she incubates up to eight eggs for roughly three weeks with the help of her partner. The chicks are fed through regurgitation after they hatch. They fledge after roughly a month and can fly on their own at the age of fifty.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can kill horses and humans, is carried by the yellow-crowned night-heron.
9. American Bittern
From April to May, American Bitterns may be seen flying through Missouri.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you’ll hear their peculiar watery boom calls before they’re visible. Below are some of the sites you should check out.
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are hefty, medium-sized birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, they resemble the reeds they hide in, and their ability to stay motionless among the reeds with their head tilted up, they appear like them.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that change to orange during mating.
- Botaurus lentiginosus
- Length: 23 in (58 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz (726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 – 50 in (107 – 127 cm)
Before migrating to the Gulf Coast and Mexico, American Bitterns breed in Canada and northern United States.
Shallow, freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds are the most common places to find American Bitterns.
Look for them along the margins of lakes and ponds, amid the rough vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the American Bitterns’ diet. They wait quietly and motionlessly among the reeds for their victim to approach, before darting forward quickly to capture them in their bills.
Watery nests of American Bitterns may be found among coarse vegetation in the hopes of remaining unseen. Using available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants, females select the nest site and construct it themselves.
They produce up to seven eggs, which are kept for about twenty-six days while they are being incubated. The chicks are fed directly into their beaks by the mothers after they are hatched. They leave the nest two weeks after birth, and it takes six to seven weeks for them to be fully feathered.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
10. Least Bittern
During the breeding season, from April to October, least bitterns can be seen in Missouri’s north. They are not particularly common.
In the Americas, the least Bitterns are the tiniest herons, and they’re difficult to locate amid the reeds.
Their yellow beak has a dark top and a dark cap, and they are shades of brown and white. They grip the reeds with their long toes and claws.
Females and juveniles have lighter backs and crowns, but they are similar to males.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
Bitterns are most commonly found in Europe and Africa, but they may also be found in North America on rare occasions.
Least Bitterns live in rich freshwater and brackish marshlands with plenty of tall cattails and reeds. Look for them perched on reeds when you see them.
They will immediately stop moving, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in rhythm with the reeds if they sense danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice are among the foods of Least Bitterns. They situate themselves among the reeds, sometimes performing acrobatic twists and stretches just to grab their victim in the water’s surface.
The female of the Least Bittern creates well-concealed nests made out of cattails and marsh vegetation. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty days, which she lays up to seven. They then regurgitate food for newly-hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: Long necks and a hunchbacked stance characterize the Least Bitterns.
11. Tricolored Heron
In Missouri, Tricolored Herons have only been seen a few times since their last recorded sighting in Pulltite Campground in 2021.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron distinguishes it from other herons.
You can quickly tell a Tricolored Herons apart from other herons with its white belly and neck stripe.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron distinguishes it from other herons.
Adults that are non-breeding have a purple and white mixture of 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 base of their bill turns blue, and breeding adults have thin, white feathers that extend from the back of their heads. On their necks and backs, they also have finer feathers. Their legs, too, become red 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)
Throughout the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America, tricolored Herons are present all year. Those that breed farther north migrate south as they approach the Atlantic Coast.
Freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps are all home to Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are protective of their feeding grounds and feed singly. Other wading birds may attempt to feed on their area, and they like tiny fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects. They will drive them away.
They’ll be stalking, chasing, standing, and waiting for their victim. Before striking, they squat low in the water, with their bellies and necks drawn in, touching the surface.
Tricolored Heron nests are formed of sticks and erected in trees and shrubs in colonies. The female lays three to five eggs, with both parents contributing to the incubation period of three weeks before the eggs hatch. They also supply baby food to each other.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron was formerly known as the Louisiana Heron.
12. Reddish Egret
The Missouri Bird Records Committee has accepted Reddish Egrets as a provisional species, with some recorded sightings in the state, despite their rarity in Missouri.
This is one of the greatest birds to see because of Reddish Egrets’ dark pink and grayish-blue hues, as well as their frantic chasing after fish.
They come in dark and light morphs, with white morphs being uncommon, despite their name of Reddish Egrets.
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 totally white. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their legs and feet are blue-black, although they both have darker skin around (lores).
Adults will mate with either morph, and juveniles are also dark or white.
- Egretta rufescens
- Length: 27 – 32 in (69 – 81 cm)
- Weight: 15.9 oz (451 g)
- Wingspan: 46 in (117 cm)
All year round, Reddish Egrets may be found around the Gulf Coast, the East Coast, and Mexico.
In open marine flats and beaches, you may see Reddish Egrets. Marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons are also home to them.
Reddish Egrets eat and forage on their own. In order to catch fish, they cross shallow, flooded flats. They immediately stab fish with their beaks after successfully frightening them up.
Reddish Egret nests are frequently found in colonies, with both parents working together to create a stick platform. Protected islands with nearby feeding areas are their natural habitats.
Both parents lay up to seven eggs, which take twenty-five days to hatch. They’ll feed their young for up to nine weeks after they’ve left the nest and care for the young even when they’re gone.
Fun Fact: The male will perform a head toss display and beak snapping during mating, puffing out his feathers on his head, neck, and back.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Missouri In Summer And Winter
Checklists are a great way to identify which birds you may commonly see in your region. In Missouri during the summer and winter, these lists indicate which herons are most commonly observed on ebird checklists.
Herons in Missouri in summer:
Great Blue Heron 23.7%
Great Egret 10.6%
Green Heron 7.6%
Little Blue Heron 2.4%
Snowy Egret 1.6%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1.2%
Cattle Egret 0.9%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 0.8%
Least Bittern 0.5%
American Bittern 0.3%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Herons in Missouri in winter:
Great Blue Heron 9.6%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.1%
Great Egret 0.1%
American Bittern <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%