New York has been home to 11 of the 17 species of herons that live in North America on a regular basis. There are three more that are uncommon or occurring by chance. This guide will help you identify and learn more about these long-legged birds.
Herons, which can be found in saltwater, freshwater, and even peering into your backyard pond for a quick snack, are water-loving birds.
Nonetheless, many of your fish herons are protected and should be caught with a net if you’re having trouble catching them.
Herons are often found nesting in enormous colonies known as heronries, however they prefer to hunt on their own by remaining absolutely still and waiting or dashing about.
A group of herons is known by a variety of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” and “pose” among many others!
You may want to learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans you may see in New York if you enjoy seeing waterbirds.
14 Species Of Heron In New York
1. Great Blue Heron
The breeding season for Great Blue Herons is from April to November, and they are occasionally seen all year in New York. These are seen on 15% of bird watchers’ summer and 5% of their winter checklists for the state, according to records.
The Great Blue Heron is the biggest heron indigenous to North America, and it is a big bird.
From the front of their eyes to the back of their heads, they have a white face with a black crest or plume. Their bills are orangish yellow in color.
Greyish-blue bodies, long grey legs, and a long grey 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 that stay throughout the year, but those that breed in the Mid-West and Canada migrate south.
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 settings. 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, shrimp, crabs, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other aquatic insects make up the majority of Great Blue Herons’ diets.
When wading or standing in water, they grab their meal. They might alternatively dive into the water, jump feet-first from perches, or float on the water’s surface.
In colonies high up in trees near to water, Great Blue Heron nests may be found. Twigs and sticks are used to construct the nests, which are lined with softer material.
Great Blue Herons may maintain and expand their nests over time, as they reuse them. This allows them to grow in size.
The female then deposits two to seven eggs. For about four weeks, both parents incubate the eggs.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, Great Blue Herons protect their feeding grounds with spectacular outstretched wings.
2. Great Egret
The breeding season for Great Egrets is spent mostly on Long Island, New York. Yet, they may also be seen around the state. On summer checklists, they appear in 9% of cases.
Males have neon green facial skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) extending from their backs to their tails during courtship, similar to how a peacock expands out its tail. Great Egrets are at their best during the breeding season.
They’re Great White Herons because of their huge size and all-white coloration. Common egrets are another name for these birds. These big birds feature dagger-like, long, gleaming yellow beaks and black legs and feet. They are white in color.
Males, females, and youngsters all have the same appearance while they are not active.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
Around the globe, Great Egrets have a broad habitat. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay there all year, whereas those in the interior and Canada move south.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds.
The diet of Great Egrets consists mainly of fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects. You will see Great Egrets standing motionless on the water, waiting and scouting their prey, and then they strike and spear it with their long bills.
Great Egret colonies house nests. To protect their nests from predators like raccoons, they are usually 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 they lay up to six times.
Fun Fact: Because of their long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was almost hunted to extinction.
3. Green Heron
New York sees a 6% increase in the number of Green Herons on summer checklists during the breeding season. In April, they arrive, and in October, they begin to migrate.
The glossy green-black coloring of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons gives them their name; however, from a distance they appear hunched and dark.
During the breeding season, their bills turn black and are two-toned, with a dark top and a yellow bottom. Their irises and legs likewise darken from yellow to orange.
Chestnut or maroon is the color of their heads, necks, and breasts. A white stripe runs down the front length of the neck, with a black tip. They are grayer on the inside.
Browner with a blacker head and a higher crest, juveniles are more brown.
- Butorides virescens
- Length: 18 – 22 in (46 – 56 cm)
- Weight: 9.17 oz (260 g)
- Wingspan: 25 – 26 in (64 – 66 cm)
Before heading south, Green Herons breed primarily in the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast. Those along the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and Mexico, however, are permanent residents.
Green Herons may be found in damp environments with thick vegetation, such as swamps, marshes, lakes, and ponds. They 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 diet of Green Herons. Instead of wading, they commonly hunt from the shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are created of long, thin sticks placed high in the trees over water, but they may also be found on the ground, hidden beneath shrubs.
Females lay two-day intervals of six eggs. Only after the final egg is deposited does mother and father 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 for foraging. This is one of the few bird species that does so. (Davis and Kushlan, 1994)
4. Black-crowned Night-Heron
During the breeding season, from April to October, black-crowned night-herons are found in New York, mostly around Long Island. While some may be seen throughout the year in the state, Summer checklists have a 3% chance of containing them.
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 the common stork.
The black crowns of adult Black-crowned Night-herons extend from a white line above their black bills.
The lores (infront of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, while their eyes are red. They have a black back and are lighter on the bottom. They have yellow legs and feet.
The crown gains two or three white feathers during the breeding season, and the black coloration of the head and back changes to glossy blue-green. The legs and feet turn red or pink, as well as the lores becoming black.
The overall color of juveniles is a 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 enormous. They breed in the United States and Canada before heading south in North America. 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.
Black-crowned Night-herons eat whatever they can find at night, such as crayfish and fish and even turtles or worms.
Males build nests for Black-crowned Night-herons in bushes and trees, which are started by them in preparation for choosing their mates.
After that, the female will deposit between seven and eleven eggs every two days. For around twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs after they are placed. For about three weeks, the parents will take care of their infant.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, DC has hosted a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons during their summer vacations.
5. Snowy Egret
From April to October, snowy egrets may be found on Long Island and in New York. Summer checklists include them in 3% of the time.
Little, all-white herons called Snowy Egrets, as their name suggests. They have long, black beaks, long, black legs, and brilliant yellow footpads. Their irises are yellow.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs throughout the breeding season. During courtship, their lores or face skin become reddish-pink, and their toes become orange-red.
Surprisingly, during aggressive interactions, these zones of their bodies become as bright as red.
Adults have head plumes, whereas juveniles do not. Their lores and legs are also greenerish-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 across most states. Throughout Mexico, Central, and South America, they stay all year.
Snowy Egrets may be found in marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries. They frequent shallow, marshy environments. They choose marshland woods with sturdy trees and plants as a place to nest.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They might remain still and wait for food to arrive, or they might agitate the water in order for their meal to surface. This makes it simpler for them to capture.
Males choose Snowy Egret nests. They choose a spot and display themselves in their most attractive form. While the females constructs the nest, the males continue to deliver sticks, sedges, or reeds.
Nesting usually takes place in trees or shrubs on the ground. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, which are laid by the female two to six at a time. The typical incubation period is twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their exquisite white head feathers, which were ideal for women’s hats, snowy egrets were almost hunted to extinction.
6. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
From mid-April to early October, yellow-crowned night-herons can be seen in New York, mostly on Long Island. Summer checklists include them at a rate of 1%.
The crowns of adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons are yellow, with two plumes protruding from their heads. Their black heads and huge bills are characteristic. Their skin around their eyes is white, and the rest of their heads are black.
As they grew up, their eyes became more red and changed from yellow to orange to red.
Their wings have a scaled design and their bodies are gray-blue. During the breeding season, their legs grow longer and turn a vivid yellow, coral, or pink.
Grayish-brown in color with white streaks and spots, juveniles become brownish-brown all over. It takes three years for them to reach adulthood.
- 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 nightherons breed mostly in the southern United States. Throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they live all year.
In coastal places with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and sharp edges where to feed, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons at dawn and dusk.
Crustaceans such as crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-herons’ diets. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rodents, and birds are among the animals that they consume. Little prey can be devoured by them right away.
Crabs are frequently killed by being dismembered or stabbed.
Nests of Yellow-crowned Night-herons are often found in small, loose colonies, but they always build nests near water. The nests are made by both parents from sticks and twigs made soft with grass, leaves, or moss.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons frequently build nests in small, loosely congregating colonies, but they always construct them near water. Both parents construct the nests from soft sticks and twigs, with grass, leaves, or moss being used to soften them.
They then incubate up to eight eggs together for three weeks, with the female laying them up to eight. The chicks are fed by regurgitation when they hatch. They fledge after a month, and at fifty days, they are capable of flying on their own.
Fun Fact: A virus called eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) may kill horses and people. Yellow-crowned Night-herons may transmit it.
7. American Bittern
From April through September, American Bitterns are most frequent during migration in May, but they are most common in northeast New York during breeding season.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you’ll hear their strange watery boom calls long before you see them. Below are a few samples of what they have to offer:
The Heron family includes the American Bitterns, which are thick, medium-sized birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, as well as their capability to remain still among the reeds with their head lifted 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 moving 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 nearly exclusively.
Look for them among the coarse vegetation along the margins of lakes and ponds.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the American Bitterns’ diet. They wait quietly and motionlessly among the reeds, waiting for their prey to approach before darting forward quickly to capture them in their bills.
On the water, among coarse vegetation, American Bittern nests may be found. Females select a location for the nest and construct it with available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants.
They produce seven eggs, which are incubated for around twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks directly into their beaks when they are born. They fled the nest after two weeks and are completely developed after six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them to hide themselves, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
8. Little Blue Heron
During the summer and throughout migration in New York, Little Blue Herons may be seen.
Little Blue Herons aren’t always little. With long, stretched bodies, they are medium to large in size. The heads and necks are purple, with dangling feathers along the nape, giving it a purplish hue.
During the breeding season, their eyes can become gray-green. Two-toned – light 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 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 moving south, Little Blue Herons breed in the eastern US states, but those in the Gulf Coast and Mexico remain throughout the year.
Little Blue Herons may be found near water, such as in marshes, bogs, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches and fish hatcheries.
As compared to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more elegant manner. They simply stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey instead of rushing 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, while adults prefer to forage alone.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed of sticks and, like other heron species, are found in colonies. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. The parents both contribute to the incubation process, which can last up to twenty-four days.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed of sticks and are usually found in groups with other herons. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. The incubation period may be up to twenty-four days long, depending on both parents.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ presence among Snowy Egrets allows them to catch additional fish and offer further protection from predators because of their white coloring.
9. Least Bittern
In April, Least Bitterns arrive in New York, and in October they begin to migrate.
The smallest herons in the Americas, least bitterns are difficult to locate in the reeds but may be heard early on.
Their bills are yellow, and they have a dark cap and black head. Long toes and nails help them grip the reeds, which they use.
Females and young males have comparable backs and crowns, although females are lighter.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
The regular habitat of Little Bitterns is Europe and Africa, but they may wander into North America on occasion.
In densely vegetated freshwater and brackish marshlands with plenty of tall cattails and reeds, you may see Least Bitterns. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They’ll freeze stiffly, raise their bills to the sky, and sway rhythmically with the reeds when they sense danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice are all part of the diet of Least Bitterns. They sit on the reeds and do acrobatic contortions to reach their victims on the water’s surface.
The female of the Least Bitterns builds well-concealed platforms from cattails and marsh vegetation. Both parents incubate the eggs for roughly twenty days after she lays up to seven. Then, they regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: The necks of least bitterns are long, although they remain hunchbacked.
10. Tricolored Heron
During the breeding season, Tricolored Herons may be found in New York, particularly near Long Island.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron easily distinguishes it from other herons.
Adults that are not breeding have purple and white feathers in combination with blue-gray. Yellowish or greyish in color, with a black tip, they have yellowish or greyish bills. Yellow or olive green are the legs and feet of these animals.
The back of the heads of breeding adults are likewise covered in thin, white feathers, and their beaks turn blue. Their necks and backs have become more feathered. They, too, develop reddish legs.
The neck, upper breasts, upper back, and wings of juveniles are more reddish-brown in color.
- Egretta tricolor
- Length: 24 – 26 in (61 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 14.6 oz (414 g)
- Wingspan: 36 in (91 cm)
The Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America are home to the tricolored Heron all year. Those that breed farther north migrate south along the Atlantic Coast.
Tricolored Herons may be found in marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps, both freshwater and brackish.
Tricolored Herons defend their feeding grounds and are lone feeders. They will attempt to drive away other wading birds, who like to eat tiny fish, frogs, crustaceans, and flies. Other wading birds that try to feed in their realm will be chased away.
Stalking, pursuing, standing, and waiting for their victim are expected behaviors. Before striking, they squat low in the water, with their tummies pressed to the surface and their necks pulled in.
Tricolored Heron nests are built in colonies on trees and bushes, using sticks as building materials. The mother and father share in the incubation of the eggs, which takes three weeks before they hatch. The female lays three to five eggs. They both breastfeed their infants as well.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron used to be known as the Louisiana Heron.
11. Cattle Egret
Cattle Egrets aren’t often seen in New York, although they may be seen on their way to and from the state throughout the summer.
Cattle Egrets use a clever technique of capturing their prey…they stand on the backs of cattle, allowing them to move and disturb the ground so they can capture it.
Cattle Egrets are little, short-necked egrets with white bodies and faint orange-brown patches on their heads, shoulders, and backs.
Their irises and cheeks are yellow, as is their facial skin. Their bills are small, and their legs are greenish-black. Both men and women have striking features.
Their irises and cheeks are yellow in color. Their bills are small, and their legs are greenish-black. Males and femenlares have a similar appearance.
Throughout the breeding season, Cattle Egrets turn brighter, particularly on their legs and face.
Their pale orange patches darken during the breeding season. At the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises become bright red, and 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, the Gulf Coast, and southwestern US states remain throughout the year.
Following breeding, however, those that breed further north, mostly in the eastern United States, migrate south.
Cattle Egrets can be found in native grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice paddies, particularly where hoofed animals are present.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic environments, such as riverbanks, ponds, and shallow marshes, but they prefer to stay on land and on top of cattle. Golf courses, lawns, athletic fields, dumps, and parks are also common places for them to be seen.
Insects, most notably grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths make up the majority of Cattle Egrets’ diet. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are also among the animals they eat.
Cattle Egret nests are often constructed in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on small islands. They are created of sticks and reeds.
The female lays nine eggs, which take roughly twenty-five days to hatch. The young take roughly 45 days to grow fledge, become completely independent of their parents, and reach full maturity.
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.
12. Western Reef-Heron
In New York, Western Reef-Herons are an unusual species. In 2007, they were only seen at Great Kills Park and Calvert Vaux Park, and they are quite uncommon in the state.
With a long thin neck and beak, black legs, and yellow feet, Western Reef Herons are thin-bodied. Their yellow feet turn orange or red during the breeding season, and their bills develop two long feathers on their nape.
Dark and White are two color morphs of Western Reef Herons. The white Morphs have white bodies, while the Dark Morphs have grayish-black. They have black legs and yellow feet, with yellow eyes.
- Egretta gularis
- Length: 22 – 26 in (56 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 14.1 oz (400 g)
- Wingspan: 40 – 43 in (102 – 109 cm)
In general, Western Reef Herons are found in Africa, Asia, and southern Europe, although they may expand into the US. Around coastal water, you may find them.
Fish, crustaceans, amphibians, mollusks, tiny reptiles, and birds make up the Western Reef Heron’s diet. They’ll either remain motionless and wait for their prey to approach them or stir the shallow water with their feet to draw it to the surface and catch it.
Western Reef Heron nests are shaped like platforms and constructed of sticks and branches. Females lay three to five eggs, and the first egg is deposited within a few days. After twenty-four days, both parents care for the eggs until they hatch.
Fun Fact: In 1983, Nantucket was the first location in the United States where Western Reef Herons were observed, but they have since been seen many more times.
13. Little Egret
In New York, Little Egrets are a rare sight, and the state considers them to be accidental. In 2017, they were last seen near Goethals Bridge Pond.
The entire body of Little Egrets is white. Long, thin necks, black bills, yellow eyes, yellow lores (chin), long black legs and yellow foot are among the features they share.
Little Egrets have wispy feathers on the tops of their heads, neck, and backs throughout the breeding season. At the peak of their courting, the skin on their faces reddens, and their toes reddens.
Dark morphs that are blue-gray in color rather than white are also available.
Juveniles are grayer/brownish in color and have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet than adults.
- 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, with a normal range of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Little Egrets may be found around lakeshores, riverbanks, ponds, lagoons, marshes, and canals in dampland environments, but will hunt in fish ponds as well.
Little Egrets are primarily carnivorous, eating fish by either sitting still and waiting for them to approach or stirring the water to frighten them away.
Little Egret nests are frequently built high up in the trees or shrubs, in reed beds or mangroves, and are constructed of platform sticks. The material for building is usually found by males, and the building is done by females.
For around three weeks, both parents incubate the female’s six eggs. For approximately two weeks, both parents care for their children. Six weeks later, the fledge was born.
Fun Fact: Because of the popularity of feathers for fashion at the period, Little Egrets became extinct in Ireland and Great Britain due to overhunting.
14. Reddish Egret
In New York, Reddish Egrets are listed as a near-threatened species with no recent sightings, according to records.
Reddish Egrets have some of the most gorgeous plumage in the world, with dusky pink and grayish-blue hues that are energetic and fast.
They range in dark and light variants, with white variants being uncommon, despite their name of Reddish Egrets.
The bodies, necks, and breasts of dark morph Reddish Egrets are blue-gray, while the heads are cinnamon. Pink with a black tip, their bills are fairly noticeable.
Adults may mate with either morph, and juveniles are likewise dark or white.
- Egretta rufescens
- Length: 27 – 32 in (69 – 81 cm)
- Weight: 15.9 oz (451 g)
- Wingspan: 46 in (117 cm)
The Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Mexico until northern South America are home to Reddish Egrets all year.
In open marine flats and beaches, you may see Reddish Egrets. Marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons are also home to them.
Reddish Egrets feed and forage alone in general. In order to capture fish, they walk through shallow flooded flats. They stab fish with their beaks right after they’ve scared them up.
Reddish Egret nests are frequently found in colonies, with both parents contributing to the platform of sticks. They’re typically found on islands with nearby feeding grounds.
The female lays seven eggs, which are incubated by both parents for twenty-five days. When they abandon the nest, they’re both concerned about the young and will supply them with food 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.
Learning which birds are commonly seen in your state can be done using checklists. In New York throughout the summer and winter, these tables show which herons are most frequently seen on ebird checklists.
Herons in New York in summer:
Great Blue Heron 15.4%
Great Egret 9.0%
Green Heron 6.2%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3.8%
Snowy Egret 3.5%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1.4%
American Bittern 0.9%
Little Blue Heron 0.6%
Least Bittern 0.4%
Tricolored Heron 0.2%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Little Egret <0.1%
Western Reef-Heron <0.1%
Reddish Egret <0.1%
Herons in New York in winter:
Great Blue Heron 5.2%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.4%
Great Egret 0.2%
American Bittern 0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Snowy Egret <0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Green Heron <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%