New Jersey has been home to 11 of the 17 species of herons that live in North America on a regular basis. Three more are uncommon or unintentional. These long-legged birds may be identified and learned more about using this guide.
Herons, which prefer salty, freshwater, or even peering into your backyard pond for a quick snack, are water-loving birds.
However, many of your fish herons are protected, therefore a net is your best option if you’re having trouble catching them.
Herons often nest in large colonies called heronries but tend to hunt alone by standing perfectly still and waiting or by dashing about to stir up the prey.
Herons prefer to hunt alone, standing totally still and waiting or dashing about to stir up the prey, in huge colonies known as heronries.
A collection of herons is known by a variety of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” and even the terms “siege,” “pose,” and “scattering.”
You might learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans that you may see in New Jersey if you enjoy seeing waterbirds.
14 Species Of Heron In New Jersey
1. Great Blue Heron
In New Jersey, Great Blue Herons may be seen throughout the year. For the state, they are seen on 20% of summer checklists and 14% of winter checklists collected by birdwatchers.
The biggest heron native to North America, Great Blue Herons are huge, majestic birds.
The biggest heron native to North America, Great Blue Herons are massive, majestic birds.
Their face is white, with a black plume or crest that stretches from the front of their eyes to the rear of their heads. Their bills are orange-yellow in color.
They have grayish-blue bodies and long gray legs with a long gray neck 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 throughout the year, although they migrate south as they breed 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 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.
While wading or standing in water, they catch their prey. Hovering over water, diving into it, leaping feet-first from perches, and floating on the water’s surface are all possible behaviors.
Great Blue Heron colonies are located high up in trees near 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 rebuild and expand their nests over time, which allows them to reuse them.
After that, the female deposits two to seven eggs. For around four weeks, both parents alternate between incubating the eggs.
Fun Fact: Great Blue Herons use their heads thrown back and outstretched wings to defend their feeding area.
2. Great Egret
In New Jersey, Great Egrets are most commonly seen during breeding season, although some may be seen at any time of year. Summer checklists include them in 21% of the lists, while winter checklists include them in 1%.
Males have neon green facial skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) extending from their backs to their tails during the breeding season, when great egrets are at their best.
They’re typically referred to as Great White Herons because they’re enormous, all-white herons. Common egrets are another name for them. These huge birds have long, black legs and feet, as well as dagger-like, long beaks.
Males, females, and juveniles all have the same non-breeding appearance.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
The range of Great Egrets is enormous. Those in the southern and seaside US regions stay throughout the year, while those farther inland and in Canada travel south.
Great Egrets may be seen in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, but they are most visible in freshwater.
Fish, frogs, tiny animals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of the Great Egret’s diet. Great Egrets stand motionless on the water, waiting and scouting for their victim before striking and spearing it with their long bills.
In colonies, Great Egret nests may be seen. To safeguard the nests from predators such as raccoons, they are generally placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Sticks, twigs, and marsh plant stems are used to make them. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty-five days, which can produce up to six eggs.
Fun Fact: The Great Egret was almost hunted to extinction because of their long white feathers (aigrettes).
3. Snowy Egret
From April to November, snowy egrets breed in New Jersey, and they are seen in 14% of all summer checklists. They’re most commonly seen along the shore.
Snowy Egrets, as their name suggests, are small, all-white herons. They have yellow irises and skin around their eye, long, black bills, long, black legs, and bright yellow feet.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs throughout the breeding season. During courting, their lores and feet turn reddish pink, with orange-red toes.
Surprisingly, during violent encounters, these sections of their bodies turn bright red.
While juveniles lack head plumes, they are similar to adults. The lores and legs are more greenish-yellow, and the colors on their bills and legs are lighter.
- Egretta thula
- Length: 22 – 27 in (56 -69 cm)
- Weight: 16.75 oz (475 g)
- Wingspan: 39.4 in (100 cm)
Except for the Gulf Coast and the southwest coast, snowy egrets migrate from across the country. Throughout Mexico, Central, and South America, they live all year.
Marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries are all good places to find Snowy Egrets in shallow wetlands. They favor swamp woods with protective trees and shrubs for nesting.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all hunted by the Wintery Egrets in shallow water. They can also stir up the water to bring their prey to the surface so that it is easier for them to capture. They can stand still and wait for prey to come to them or disturb the water.
Males pick the nests of Snowy Egrets. They choose a spot and put on a full display for their suitors to see. The guys continue to offer sticks, sedges, or reeds while the females erects the nest when they join up.
Nests are frequently found on trees or in shrubs on the ground, and they’re sometimes disguised. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, which are laid by the female two to six times. The incubation period is typically 24 days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, snowy egrets were nearly exterminated due to their usefulness as a hat ornament or accessory.
4. Green Heron
New Jersey is home to Green Herons, who are seen on 8% of summer checklists. In April, they arrive, and in November, they begin to migrate.
The glossy green-black sheen of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons attracts you when they appear hunched and dark from afar. You should come closer to see this.
Their bills are two-toned, dark on top and yellow at the bottom, but these turn black in the breeding season. Their iris and legs also turn from yellow to orange.
They have two-toned bills, with a yellow bottom and a black breeding season. They are dark on top and yellow at the bottom. Their iris and legs go from yellow to orange, too.
Chestnut or maroon are their heads, necks, and breasts. The central stripe across the length of their neck is white. Gray is the color of their bellies.
Browner, with blacker heads and a cresty appearance, juveniles are.
Before moving south, Green Herons breed mostly in the eastern US and the Pacific Coast. The Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and Mexico, on the other hand, have year-round residents.
Green Herons may be found in thicket-filled wetlands, such as marshes, bogs, lakes, and ponds. If there are water sources nearby, they may stay in dry woods or orchards instead of coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rodents make up the diet of Green Herons. Rather than wading, they hunt from the shore by perched on sticks above the water.
Green Heron nests are formed of long, slender twigs high in the trees over water, however they may also be found on the ground concealed under foliage.
Females lay two to six eggs every two days. The final egg is placed and the incubation process begins about twenty days later, when both parents are present. When their eggs hatch, both parents feed their babies.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, are used by green herons to catch their prey. This is one of the few bird species that uses tools for foraging.
5. Black-crowned Night-Heron
The breeding season for Black-crowned Night-Herons, which lasts from April to November, is followed by a few who stay all year along the New Jersey coast. Summer checklists contain them in 6% of the time.
The typical description of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, also known as Night Herons. It has a shorter bill, neck, and legs compared to most other birds.
The black hoods of adult Black-crowned Night-herons extend from a white arch above their black beaks.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, while their eyes are red. The top is pale, but the rear is blacker. Yellow is the color of their limbs and feet.
The head and back of the bird acquire a glossy blue-green color during the breeding season, with two or three white feathers appearing on the crown. The legs and feet become red or pink, while the lores turn black.
The juveniles have a dull grayish-brown color 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 extends across the globe. Before moving south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Throughout the coasts, some may be found year-round.
Wetland habitats such as shallow freshwater or brackish rivers are where you’ll find Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also home to them.
Black-crowned Night-herons are night feeders that eat crayfish, fish, and even turtles or worms if they can find them.
In preparation for selecting their partners, Black-crowned Night-heron males build nests in bushes or trees.
After that, the female may lay up to seven eggs every two days. For around twenty-four days after they are laid, both parents begin incubating the eggs. During roughly three weeks, the parents will look after their children.
Fun Fact: Since the National Zoo in Washington, DC, has existed for almost a century, a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons have spent their summers there.
6. Little Blue Heron
From April through October, Little Blue Herons are primarily found along New Jersey’s coast. Summer checklists have 2% of them.
Little blue herons aren’t really little. They’re adult. With long, elongated bodies, they are medium to large in size. With dangling feathers across the nape, their heads and necks have a purple hue.
During the breeding season, their eyes become gray-green, which are pale yellow. Two-toned – pale blue or grayish with black tips – their long, dagger-like bills are two-toned. Slate-blue is the color of their skin. 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)
Before heading south, Little Blue Herons reproduce in the eastern United States, then migrate to the Gulf Coast and Mexico for the winter.
Little Blue Herons may be found near water, such as bogs, marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches and fish hatcheries.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage with a more graceful motion. They just stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey instead of dashing about across the water.
Fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, spiders, crustaceans, mice, and insects make up the majority of Little Blue Herons’ diets. Adults tend to forage alone, however juveniles prefer to mix with others.
Nests of Little Blue Herons are made from sticks and usually in colonies with other herons. The female lays up to six eggs. Both parents also share in the incubation for up to twenty-four days.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed of sticks and are commonly found in groups with other herons. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. For up to twenty-four days, both parents share in the incubation process.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons are present among Snowy Egrets because of their white coloring, which allows them to catch more fish and offer additional protection from predators.
7. Tricolored Heron
From April to October, New Jersey is home to tricolored herons, which are seen in 1% of all summer checklists. They’re most often seen near the shore.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron distinguishes it from other herons.
Blue-gray, purple, and white feathers are seen on non-breeding adults. Their bills have a black tip and are yellowish or greyish. Yellow or olive-green legs and feet adorn them.
The back of the head of breeding adults is also covered in thin, white feathers, and the base of their beak becomes blue. On their necks and backs, they have more delicate feathers. Their legs, too, acquire a reddish tint.
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)
All year round, along the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America, Tricolored Herons may be found. Those that breed farther north migrate south along the Atlantic Coast.
Freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps are all good places to look for Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are defensive of their feeding grounds, and they are solitary feeders. Other wading birds that want to eat small fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects will be chased away by them.
Stalking, pursuing, standing, and waiting for their victim are all common behaviors. Before striking, they squat low in the water, with their bellies and necks pulled in tight.
Tricolored Heron nests are constructed from sticks and grow in trees and bushes, forming colonies. The female lays three to five eggs, with both parents contributing to the incubation process, which takes three weeks. They also nurse their babies.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron used to be known as the Louisiana Heron.
8. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Between April and October, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons breed on the beaches of New Jersey, accounting for 2% of summer checklists.
Yellow crowns with two plumes protruding from their heads characterize adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons. They have black-feathered bills. Their remainder of the heads are black, with a tiny white patch on each side below their eyes.
As they grew up, their eyes became red, then yellow, then orange.
Their wings have a scaled pattern and their bodies are gray-blue. During mating season, their legs become coral, pink, or red and are rather long and yellow.
Grayish-brown juveniles have white streaks and spots all over their bodies. It takes three years for them to grow up.
- Nyctanassa violacea
- Length: 22 – 28 in (56 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz ( 726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 0 44 in (107 – 112 cm)
Before heading south, yellow-crowned night herons breed largely in the southern US. In Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they stay throughout the year.
In coastal locations with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and solid edges on which to feed, you may find Yellow-crowned Night-herons at daybreak and dusk.
Crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-herons’ diet. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rodents, and birds are among the animals that they consume. Little prey is devoured immediately by them.
Crabs are frequently dismembered or stabbed in their bodies.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in small, loose colonies, and their nests are commonly found in such colonies. Both parents construct the nests from grass, leaves, or moss-covered sticks and twigs.
After that, she creates up to eight eggs and they raise them together for three weeks. The chicks are fed by regurgitation when they hatch. They fledge after a month and, at the age of fifty, are able to fly on their own.
Fun Fact: A deadly mosquito-borne illness (eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus) may kill horses and people, and the yellow-crowned night-heron is capable of carrying it.
9. American Bittern
From April to May and September to December, American Bitterns can be found in New Jersey during migration. During these periods, they may be found in up to 2% of checklists.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re fortunate, you’ll hear the unusual watery boom calls long before you see them. Below you’ll find some of their work…
The Heron family includes the American Bitterns, which are bulky, medium-sized birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, as well as their capacity to remain motionless amid the reeds with their head tilted up, they resemble the reeds they hide in.
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.
In shallow, freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds, you can find American Bitterns almost exclusively.
Among the coarse vegetation along the edges of lakes and ponds, you may train your eyes to find them.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the American Bitterns’ diet. They stealthily forage among the reeds, waiting for their victim to get closer and then leaping forward abruptly to clutch them in their beaks.
The water has nests of American Bitterns, which are hidden amid coarse vegetation. Using available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants, females select a nest location and construct it themselves.
They usually lay seven eggs, which are kept for around twenty-six days while they are being incubated. The females feed the chicks directly into their beaks when they are hatched. They fled the nest after two weeks and are fully developed after six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Just 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 mid-November in southern New Jersey, least bitterns may be seen.
In the reeds, you may hear Least Bitterns before you see them, since they are the smallest herons in the Americas.
With a black cap and yellow beak, they are brown and white hues. The reeds are gripped with their long toes and claws.
Males and females have heavier backs and crowns than adults, but they are otherwise similar.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
The Bitterns’ typical range includes Europe and Africa, however they have been known to visit North America on occasion.
Least Bitterns may be found in rich river and brackish marsh environments with plenty of tall cattails and reeds. When they perched on reeds, look for them.
They’ll stiffen up, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in rhythm with the grasses as soon as they detect danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice make up the diet of Least Bitterns. They sit or jump on the reeds, sometimes twisting themselves into precarious positions in order to reach their prey.
Female Least Bitterns build well-concealed nests from cattails and marsh vegetation, which are well-camouflaged. For roughly twenty days, she lays seven eggs and the male and female parents care for them. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: The Least Bittern is distinguished by its long neck and hunchbacked stance.
11. Cattle Egret
In the summer, Cattle Egrets are frequently seen in southern New Jersey. They arrive in mid-March and start migrating in November.
Cattle Egrets utilize a clever method of catching their meal…they stand on the backs of cattle, allowing them to capture the scurrying prey as they move about.
The bodies of cattle egrets are white, and their heads, necks, and backs are covered in pale orange-brown markings.
Their irises and cheeks are yellow in color. Their bills are small and greenish-black, and their legs are short. Males and females have a similar look.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets change color and become brighter, particularly on their legs and face.
Their pure orange patches become deeper orange during the breeding season. At the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises become bright red, with their facial skin (lores) turning 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 North America, but those in Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and the southern United States remain year-round.
Those that breed farther north, mainly in the eastern United States, move south after breeding.
Cattle Egrets are most commonly seen in hoofed livestock-free native grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice fields.
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, mostly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths make up the diet of cattle egrets. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are among the animals they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are typically created in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on small islands. They are made of sticks and reeds and are usually created in colonies.
Females lay nine eggs and situate them for around twenty-five days while they are incubated. The young take roughly 45 days to develop, fledge, and become completely self-sufficient from their parents.
Fun Fact: Rather than correcting for light refraction while feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to rely on binocular vision while judging distance on land.
12. Little Egret
In New Jersey, Little Egrets are a uncommon or accidental species, and only one was seen in 2017 near the Heislerville Wildlife Management Area.
The entire body of Little Egrets is white. Long, thin necks, black bills, yellow eyes, yellow lores (facial skin), black legs, and yellow feet distinguish them.
Little Egrets have wispy feathers on the backs of their heads, neck, and back during the breeding season. At the peak of courtship, their face skin becomes crimson, and their toes become crimson.
In addition, there are blue-gray morphs that lack white pigmentation.
Juveniles have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet and appear to be the same as adults, although they are more grayish/brownish.
- 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 casual visitors to the United States and Canada, but they are natives of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Little Egrets may be found in lakeshores, riverbanks, ponds, lagoons, marshes, and canals, but they’ll also hunt in fish ponds.
Little Egrets either wait for fish to come or disturb the water to scare them out as their main meal.
Little Egret nests are usually constructed high up in the trees or shrubs, in reed beds or mangroves. They’re made of platform sticks. The materials for constructing are usually discovered by males, and the construction is completed by females.
The female usually produces six eggs, which the male and female incubate for three weeks. For almost two weeks, both parents are responsible for their kid. After six weeks, they fledge.
Fun Fact: Because of the craze for feathers for fashion during that period, the Little Egrets were once thought to be extinct in Ireland and Great Britain due to overhunting.
13. Reddish Egret
In New Jersey, Reddish Egrets are classified as a near-threatened species and were last seen at Island Beach State Park in 2016, according to records.
The bright pink and grayish-blue hues of Reddish Egrets, as well as their zippy chasing after fish, make it one of the most gorgeous birds to watch.
They come in dark and light morphs, although white morphs are uncommon, despite their name of Reddish Egrets.
The bodies of dark morph Reddish Egrets are blue-gray, while the heads, necks, and breasts are cinnamon. Their bills have a black tip and are pink in color.
The bodies of white morphs are completely white. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their legs and feet are blue-black, although they have darker skin around (lores).
Adults may mate with either morph, and juveniles are dark or white.
- Egretta rufescens
- Length: 27 – 32 in (69 – 81 cm)
- Weight: 15.9 oz (451 g)
- Wingspan: 46 in (117 cm)
The Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Mexico through northern South America are home to Reddish Egrets all year.
In open marine floors and beaches, you may see Reddish Egrets. Marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons are also home to them.
Reddish Egrets eat alone most of the time. In the hopes of catching fish, they cross shallow, flooded flats. They immediately stab fish with their beaks after they’ve frightened them up.
The female lays seven eggs, which are incubated by both parents for twenty-five days. Even after they leave the nest, they will care for the young and 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.
14. Western Reef-Heron
In New Jersey, Western Reef-Herons are an accidental species. They were last seen near Raritan Bay Waterfront Park in 2007, and they are exceedingly rare in the state.
The long thin neck and bill, dark legs, and yellow feet of Western Reef Herons help them to be thin-bodied. Their yellow feet turn orange or red, and their bills become entirely black during the breeding season. They have two lengthy feathers on their nape.
Dark and White color morphs of Western Reef Herons exist. The white have white bodies, while the Dark Morph have grayish-black bodies. Their eyes are yellow, and their legs are black with yellow feet.
- 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 from time to time, Western Reef Herons are normally found in Africa, Asia, and southern Europe. Around coastal water, you may find them.
Fish, crustaceans, amphibians, mollusks, tiny reptiles, and birds make up the diet of Western Reef Herons. They’ll either stay motionless and wait for their prey to approach them or they’ll use their huge bills to stir the shallow water with their feet and bring it to the top.
Western Reef Herons build nests that resemble platforms out of sticks and branches. Females lay three to five eggs at a time, and once the first egg is laid, incubation begins. After twenty-four days, both parents incubate the eggs and they emerge.
Fun Fact: The United States saw its first Caribbean Reef Herons in 1983 on Nantucket, and they have since been sighted on numerous occasions.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In New Jersey In Summer And Winter
Knowing which birds are commonly seen in your state can be found out using checklists. In New Jersey, these lists indicate which herons are most often seen on ebird checklists throughout the summer and winter.
Herons in New Jersey in summer:
Great Egret 21.5%
Great Blue Heron 20.1%
Snowy Egret 14.2%
Green Heron 8.4%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 6.4%
Little Blue Heron 2.3%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 2.0%
Tricolored Heron 1.8%
Least Bittern 0.9%
Cattle Egret 0.4%
American Bittern 0.3%
Little Egret <0.1%
Western Reef-Heron <0.1%
Reddish Egret <0.1%
Herons in New Jersey in winter:
Great Blue Heron 14.5%
Great Egret 1.7%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.5%
American Bittern 0.3%
Snowy Egret 0.1%
Tricolored Heron 0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Green Heron <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%