New Mexico has been home to ten of the 17 species of herons that live in North America on a regular basis. There are two more that are uncommon or unintentional. This guide will assist you in identifying and understanding these long-legged birds.
Herons, which may be seen in saltwater, freshwater, or even peering into your backyard pond for a quick snack, are water-loving birds.
However, several of your fish herons are protected, so a net is your best option if you’re having trouble.
Herons are often found nesting in huge colonies known as heronries, but they prefer to hunt on their own by remaining motionless and waiting or dashing about.
A collection of herons is known by a variety of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” and “pose” among others.
You might learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans that you may see in New Mexico if you like seeing waterbirds.
12 Species Of Heron In New Mexico
1. Great Blue Heron
New Mexico is home to Great Blue Herons, which can be found throughout the year. Bird watchers for the state have reported them in 5% of summer and 9% of winter checklists.
The Great Blue Heron is the biggest heron native to North America, and it is a huge bird.
Their face is white, with a black plume or crest that extends from the front of their eyes to the rear of their heads. They have a bill with a yellowish orange color.
Their bodies are grayish-blue, and their legs are long and grayish-blue. They have lengthy 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 throughout the year, but they migrate south during breeding season.
In Florida, the Great Blue Heron is split into a white morph subspecies called the Great White Heron.
Great Blue Herons may be found in a variety of wetland habitats. Fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded marshes, lake borders, and shorelines are all possible habitats for them.
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 plunge into the water, leap from perches feet-first, or float on the surface of the water.
Heron colonies, located high in trees near to water, are home to Great Blue Heron nests. Twigs and sticks are used to make the nests, which are lined with softer material.
Great Blue Herons may expand and enhance their nests over time, since they reuse their nests.
After that, the female lays two to seven eggs. The eggs are incubated for around four weeks by both parents.
Fun Fact: Great Blue Herons use their heads thrown back and extended wings to defend their feeding grounds.
2. Snowy Egret
During the breeding season, which runs from April to October, snowy egrets are most often seen in New Mexico, although a few stay throughout winter. Summer checklists account for 5% of all checklists.
Little, all-white herons known as Snowy Egrets. Their irises are yellow, and their eyes have a black skin around them; they have long, black beaks, long, black legs, and brilliant yellow toes.
Long, lacy feathers sprout on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During their courtship, their lores (face skin) darken to a reddish-pink color, and their toes darken to orange.
Interestingly, when they are being aggressive, these regions of their bodies turn bright red.
Adults have head plumes, but juveniles do not. Their bills and legs are likewise lighter in color, while their lores while legs become more greenish-yellow.
- 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 shore, snowy egrets migrate across most of the United States. Throughout Mexico, Central, and South America, they survive all year.
Marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries are all good places to look for Snowy Egrets. Swamp woods with protective trees and plants are preferable for nesting.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all eaten by snowy egrets in shallow water. They might sit still and wait for prey to come to them, or they might stir the water to bring their prey to the surface, making it simpler for them to capture.
Males selectSnowy Egret nests. They choose a site and go fully visible in order to attract mates. The males continue to give sticks, sedges, or reeds while the females build the nest when they pair up.
Nesting places are often situated in trees or shrubs on the ground. The female lays two to six eggs, and both parents care for them in shifts. The incubation period is usually twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, snowy egrets were on the verge of extinction. They served as a stunning adornment or accessory for women’s hats.
3. Black-crowned Night-Heron
During the breeding season, Black-crowned Night-Herons are found in New Mexico, but a few stay throughout the year in southern New Mexico. Summer checklists have 3% of the items, while winter checklists have 1%.
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 other species.
Black caps covering a white line above their dark bills characterize adult Black-crowned Night-herons.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, and their eyes are red. Underneath, they are white, but on the back, they are black. They have yellow legs and feet.
The head and back of the male turn black during the breeding season, and two or three white feathers appear on the crown. The male’s glossy blue-green coloring changes to black during this time. The legs and feet turn red or pink, as do the lores.
The overall color of juveniles is a drab grayish-brown with streaks and spots.
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Length: 25 – 28 in (64 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 38.8 oz (1100 g)
- Wingspan: 44 – 45 in (112 – 114 cm)
The range of black-crowned night-herons is enormous. Before migrating south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Along the coasts, some may be found all 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 used to house them.
Night-feeders like black-crowned night herons, which eat crayfish and fish, as well as turtles or worms, when they can find them.
Males build nests for Black-crowned Night-herons in bushes and trees, which are started by the males in preparation for choosing their mates.
The female will lay seven eggs at 2-day intervals after that. For around twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs as soon as they are placed. For approximately three weeks, the parents will be in charge of their kid.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, DC has hosted a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons during their summers.
4. Great Egret
In New Mexico, Great Egrets are most common during the summer months, with a few spending the winter in the state’s southeast. On 2% of summer checklists, they are found.
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.
These are huge, all-white herons, and they’re often referred to as Great White Herons because of it. Common egrets are another name for them. White with dagger-like, long, brilliant yellow beaks and lengthy, black legs and feet, these huge birds are imposing.
Males, females, and juveniles all look the same when they’re not breeding.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
The world’s range for great egrets is enormous. Those in the southern and coastal US states stay there all year, whereas those who live farther inland migrate south.
Great Egrets may be found in both fresh and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, but they are most common in freshwater.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of the diet of Great Egrets. Great Egrets will stand motionless on the water, waiting for their prey to come and then striking it with their long bills, which they will use to spear it.
In colonies, Great Egret nests may be found. To keep the nests safe from predators like raccoons, they are usually put high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Sticks, twigs, and marsh plant stems are used to make them. Both parents care for the eggs, which they lay up to six at a time. The eggs are incubated for around twenty-five days by both parents.
Fun Fact: Because of their lengthy white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was on the verge of extinction. They were primarily utilized to embellish ladies’ hats.
5. Cattle Egret
During the breeding season, from March to November, Cattle Egrets may be seen in New Mexico, and they show up on 2% of summer checklists.
Cattle Egrets utilize a cunning method of capturing their prey…they stand on the backs of cattle, grabbing the startled prey as the cattle move and disturb the ground.
Cattle Egrets are white-bodied little short-necked egrets with pale orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs.
Their irises and faces are yellow in color. Their bills are small, and their legs are greenish-black. Males and femas have a lot in common.
Throughout the breeding season, Cattle Egrets change color and become more visible, particularly on their legs and face.
Their lighter orange patches turn deeper orange during the breeding season. During the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises turn 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 across the globe, but those in Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southern US states stay all year in North America.
Those that breed farther north, mostly in the eastern United States, do so until they migrate south after breeding.
Cattle Egrets may be seen 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, while preferring to stay on land and atop cattle. Golf courses, lawns, athletic fields, dumps, and parks are all common places to find them.
Insects, mostly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths make up the diet of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, tiny snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are among the other foods they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are generally created in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in swamps, or on tiny islands. They are created from sticks and reeds and constructed in colonies.
Females may lay up to nine eggs, which they keep warm for roughly 25 days while incubating. The young take roughly 45 days to grow up, fledge, and completely separate from their parents.
Fun Fact: In order to judge distance to capture prey on land rather than correcting for light refraction while feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved binocularity.
6. Green Heron
From April through October, New Mexican Green Herons breed. Summer checklists account for 2% of all checklists.
The glossy green-black coloring of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons makes them stand out against a background of sunlit grass; you must get up close to see this.
During the breeding season, their bills change color from two-toned to black. They are dark on top and yellow on the bottom. Their irises and legs also become orange as they age.
Chestnut or maroon colored their heads, necks, and breasts. A white stripe down the front length of the neck runs through the middle. Gray is the color of their bellies.
With dark heads and a crest, juveniles are browner.
- Butorides virescens
- Length: 18 – 22 in (46 – 56 cm)
- Weight: 9.17 oz (260 g)
- Wingspan: 25 – 26 in (64 – 66 cm)
Before flying south, green herons breed mostly in the eastern United States and on the Pacific Coast. Those in the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and Mexico, on the other hand, are permanent.
Green Herons may be located in bogs, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other wet places with deep vegetation. 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 Green Herons’ diet. Rather of wading, they typically hunt from the beach by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Herons build nests out of long, thin twigs high in the trees over water, but they may also conceal them among bushes on the ground.
Females lay two-day intervals of six eggs, which are placed in a row. The final egg is deposited, and both parents begin incubation, which lasts around twenty days. When their eggs hatch, they both feed their young.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, are used by Green Herons to catch their prey. This is one of the few bird species that use tools for foraging.
7. Least Bittern
In New Mexico, least bitterns are only seen from April to September, but they have been observed.
The smallest herons in South America, least bitterns are typically heard first before being spotted in the reeds.
Their yellow beaks are brown and white, with a black top and head. They grip the reeds with their long toes and claws.
Females and juveniles have lighter backs and crowns than males.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
Little Bitterns are most often found in Europe and Africa, but they may be found in North America on occasion.
Least Bitterns may be found in thick water and brackish marshlands, with plenty of tall cattails and reeds. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They’ll immediately freeze up, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in time with the reeds when they detect danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice make up the diet of Least Bitterns. They arrange themselves on the reeds, performing tight contortions just to get their victim on the water’s surface.
The female builds well-concealed nests of Least Bitterns from cattail and marsh grasses. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty days, which she lays up to seven. Next, they regurgitate food to feed newly-hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: The necks of least bitterns are long, and they stay in a hunchbacked stance.
8. American Bittern
In New Mexico, you’re more likely to see American Bitterns during migration and during the winter in the southeast part of the state.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you’ll hear weird watery boom calls much before you see them. Below you’ll find a few samples of what they’re all about…
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are stocky, medium-sized birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, they resemble reeds and are able to stay motionless amid the reeds with their head tilted up.
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.
Shallow, freshwater marshes and wetlands with high reeds are where you’ll find American Bitterns nearly entirely.
To discover them, look for them around the edges of lakes and ponds in amongst the coarse plantlife.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait in ambush among the reeds, staying calm and quiet until their victim gets closer before darting forward quickly to capture them in their bills.
On the water, among coarse vegetation, nest boxes of American Bitterns may be discovered. Females pick a nest location and construct it with whatever materials they have handy, including reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants.
They incubate seven eggs for around twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks straight into their beaks when they are born. They fled the nest two weeks after conception, and it takes them six to seven weeks to reach adulthood.
Fun Fact: The reeds that conceal them to hidden themselves sway gently from side to side, just like American Bitterns.
9. Little Blue Heron
From April to September, Little Blue Herons are common in New Mexico, although they aren’t common here.
Little Blue Herons, despite their name, are adults. With long, elongated bodies, they are in the medium to large range. With dangling feathers over the nape, their heads and necks have a purplish hue.
During the breeding season, their eyes may become gray-green. Two-toned – light blue or grayish with black tips – their long, dagger-like bills are two-toned. Slate-blue coloration characterizes their bodies. They have black to gray-green legs that are stretched out.
Before becoming a combination of dark gray, blue, and white, juvenile Little Blue Herons are totally 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)
Before migrating south, Little Blue Herons breeding in the eastern United States, but those breeding along the Gulf Coast and Mexico do so all year.
Little Blue Herons can be found around bodies of water, such as swamps, marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, and fish hatcheries.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons feed in a more elegant manner. They 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. Adults prefer to go off by themselves, whereas juveniles prefer to stay with mixed groups.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed of sticks and, like other heron species, are found in groups. The female can lay up to six eggs. Over the course of twenty-four days, both parents contribute to the incubation process.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ white color makes them easier to see among Snowy Egrets, allowing them to capture more fish and gain additional protection against predators.
10. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In New Mexico, the yellow-crowned night-heron is a rare accidental species. In 2022, however, there have been sightings near Lake Avalon and Clovis.
Yellow crowns with two plumes protruding from their heads characterize adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons. Their black bills contrast sharply with their slender bodies. Their remaining heads are black, with narrow white patches on the sides of their faces
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 grow long and yellow, then turn coral, pink, or red.
Grayish-brown with white streaks and flecks, juveniles begin life as grayish-brown. They take three years 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 mostly in southeastern states. In Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they stay throughout the year.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons may be seen during the day and at night in coastal regions with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and good feeding locations.
Crabs are frequently dismembered and stabbed to death.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in small, loose colonies, which are common. Both parents construct the nests from grassy, leafy, or moss-covered sticks and twigs.
After that, she places up to eight eggs in a nest and incubates them with her partner for three weeks. The chicks are fed by 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 can kill horses and people, and yellow-crowned night-herons may carry it.
11. Tricolored Heron
In New Mexico, tricolored herons are seldom seen, however in the years since 2022, there have been recent sightings near Melrose Lake, Lake Avalon, and Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron easily distinguishes it from other herons.
Adult non-breeding birds have blue-gray, purple, and white feathers in their plumage. Yellowish or greyish in color with a black tip, their bills are yellowish or greyish. It has yellow or olive green legs and feet.
Adults grow thin, white feathers on the back of their heads and have a blue base to their beak when they are breeding. Their necks and back feathers are also finer. Their reddish legs also extend from the knees to the toes.
In the neck, upper breasts, upper back, and wings of juveniles, the color is more reddish-brown.
- Egretta tricolor
- Length: 24 – 26 in (61 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 14.6 oz (414 g)
- Wingspan: 36 in (91 cm)
Throughout the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America, Tricolored Herons may be seen year-round. Those that breed farther north in the Atlantic Coast migrate south.
In freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps, you may see Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are fiercely protective of their feeding grounds and feed alone. Other wading birds that want to eat little fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects will be chased away from their area. They love to eat small fish.
They’re likely to be stalking, pursuing, standing, and waiting for their victim. Before striking, they crouch low in the water with their bellies pressed against the surface and their necks pulled in.
Tricolored Heron nests are constructed of sticks and are found in trees and shrubs in colonies. The female lays three to five eggs, and the parents care for them together for three weeks before they hatch. They both breastfeed the infants as well.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron was originally known as the Louisiana Heron.
12. Reddish Egret
In New Mexico, Reddish Egrets are considered a near-threatened species, however in 2022, they were spotted near Lake Avalon and Brantley Lake State Park.
Being one of the best birds to observe, Redfish Egrets have dark pink and grayish-blue hues with a lot of vim and vigor in their pursuit of fish.
They come in dark and light morphs, but white morphs are uncommon. They are known as Reddish Egrets, despite the fact that they are called Dark White Egrets.
Reddish Egrets have a cinnamon-toned head, neck, and breasts, with a dark morph that is reddish in color. Pink, with a black tip, are their bills.
The bodies of white morphs are completely white. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their legs and feet are blue-black, however 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)
From the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Mexico to northern South America, Reddish Egrets may be found year-round.
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 birds that forage and eat. In the hopes of catching fish, they cross shallow flooded flats. They immediately stab fish with their beaks when they’re successful in frightening them up.
Reddish Egret nests are frequently found in colonies, with both parents creating a stick platform. Protected islands with nearby feeding grounds are common places for them.
The female lays seven eggs, which are incubated by both parents for twenty-five days. Even after they leave the nest, they will feed their young for up to nine weeks and care for them.
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.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In New Mexico In Summer And Winter
Using checklists, you may see which birds are most often seen in your region. On checklists on ebird in the summer and winter of New Mexico, these lists show which herons are most frequently observed.
Herons in New Mexico in summer:
Snowy Egret 5.6%
Great Blue Heron 5.5%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3.4%
Cattle Egret 2.5%
Green Heron 2.4%
Great Egret 2.2%
Least Bittern 0.3%
Little Blue Heron 0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 0.1%
American Bittern <0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Reddish Egret <0.1%
Herons in New Mexico in winter:
Great Blue Heron 9.7%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1.3%
Great Egret 0.9%
Snowy Egret 0.3%
American Bittern 0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Green Heron <0.1%
Reddish Egret <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%