North Dakota has been home to nine of the seventeen species of herons that live in North America on a regular basis. There are two more that are uncommon or unintentional. Long-legged birds can be identified and learn more about them using this guide.
Herons, which prefer salty, freshwater, or even peering into your own backyard pond for a quick snack, are water-loving birds.
Nonetheless, most of your fish herons are protected, so a net is the best option if you’re having trouble.
Herons, like many other birds, prefer to hunt alone by standing motionless and waiting or dashing about to agitate the prey. They often build huge colonies known as heronries.
A collection of herons is known as a “rookery,” while a collection of herons is known as a “battery.” A “hedge” is another term for a same.
You might want to learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans you may see in North Dakota if you enjoy seeing waterbirds.
11 Species Of Heron In North Dakota
1. Great Blue Heron
From mid-March to December, Great Blue Herons may be seen in North Dakota, but they are most prevalent from August to September during the breeding season. Summer checklists include them in 6% of the time, whereas migration-related checklists submitted by birdwatchers for the state include them in 14%.
The Great Blue Heron is North America’s biggest heron, and it’s a massive bird.
Their face is white, and their crest or plume extends from the front of their eyes to the rear of their heads. Yellow-orangish is the color of their bills.
Their bodies are grayish-blue, and their legs are long and slender. Their necks are lengthy and gray, 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, however they migrate south as they breed in the Mid-West and Canada.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a subspecies of the Great Blue Heron that is white in color.
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 examples of where they may be found.
Fish, frogs, salamanders, shrimps, crabs, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other aquatic insects are the primary foods of Great Blue Herons.
When wading or standing in water, they capture their prey. Hovering above water, diving into it, leaping feet-first from perches, and floating on the water’s surface are all examples of how they may behave.
Great Blue Heron colonies may be discovered high in the trees, close to water. 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, since they reuse their nests.
The female will lay two to seven eggs after that. The eggs are incubated by both parents for around four weeks.
Fun Fact: Great Blue Herons display their heads back while defending their eating area with spectacular wing-outstretched displays.
2. Great Egret
Between April and mid-November, Great Egrets breed in North Dakota, appearing on 3% of summer checklists. The majority of them are located in the state’s east.
During the breeding season, when males have bright green face skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) extending from their backs to their tails, Great Egrets are at their best. Males display these aigrettes while courting like a peacock does.
They’re giant, all-white herons, hence they’re often referred to as Great White Herons. Common egrets are the names for both sexes. These enormous birds have dagger-like long, bright yellow beaks and robust black legs and feet.
Males, females, and juveniles all have the same appearance during non-breeding periods.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
Great Egrets can be found across the globe. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay throughout the year, while those in Canada travel south.
In freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, you can find Great Egrets.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of Great Egrets’ diets. Great Egrets, which stand motionless on the water waiting and scouting for their victims before striking and spearing them with their long bills, are visible.
In colonies, Great Egret nests may be discovered. To keep the nests safe from predators such as raccoons, they are generally placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Sticks, twigs, and marsh plant stems have been used to create them. Females lay six eggs, which are incubated by both parents for around twenty-five days.
Fun Fact: Due to their long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was almost hunted to extinction.
3. Black-crowned Night-Heron
In April, Black-crowned Night-Herons arrive in North Dakota, and by October, they are on their way south. They are found in 3% of summer checklists and breed in the north and east of the state.
The typical description of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Herons. With a shorter bill, neck, and legs than most juncos, it is stocky.
The black caps of adult Black-crowned Night-herons reach from a white line above their black bills.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the bill) are green-blue, while their eyes are red. They’re white on the bottom but black on the back. Yellow is the color of their legs and feet.
The head and back of the bird become glossy blue-green during the breeding season, while two or three white feathers emerge on the crown. The legs and feet become red or pink, while the lores become black as well.
Juveniles have streaking and spotting on their grayish-brown skin.
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Length: 25 – 28 in (64 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 38.8 oz (1100 g)
- Wingspan: 44 – 45 in (112 – 114 cm)
The worldwide range of Black-crowned Night-herons is enormous. Before migrating south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Along the beaches, some continue throughout the year.
In wetland environments such as shallow freshwater or brackish rivers, you may find Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also utilized to house them.
Night-feeders like black-crowned night herons, which eat everything from crayfish and fish to turtles or worms.
In preparation for selecting their mates, male Black-crowned Night-herons build nests in bushes or trees, which are initiated by the males.
After that, the female will lay two eggs every two days. For around twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs that have just been deposited. For about three weeks, the parents will look after their baby.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, DC has hosted a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons during the summer.
4. American Bittern
North Dakota hosts American Bitterns from mid-April to early October, according to 3% of summer checklists.
In the spring of the American Bittern, you may hear their peculiar watery boom cries even before you see them, if you’re lucky. Below are some examples of them:
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are robust, 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 conceal 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.
Shallow, freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds are home to American Bitterns.
To discover them, train your eyes on the rims of lakes and ponds in dense vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and tiny mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait for their victim to move closer before darting forward quickly to grab them in their beaks, stealthily foraging among the reeds.
American Bitterns’ nests may be discovered among tangled vegetation on the water’s edge. With available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other vegetation, females choose the nest site and construct it themselves.
They lay seven eggs and take around twenty-six days to hatch. The females feed the chicks straight into their beaks after they are born. They fled the nest after two weeks and are fully developed at six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns sway gently from side to side and look upwards.
5. Cattle Egret
Throughout the summer, cattle egrets may be seen in North Dakota, with 1% of checklists containing them at this time. They arrive in April and begin to fly out in September.
Cattle Egrets use a cunning method of capturing their meal: they perch on the backs of cattle and capture the moving meal when the cattle move and disturb the ground.
Cattle Egrets have pure white bodies with pale orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs. They are small, short-necked birds.
Their irises and cheeks are yellow. Their bills are small and their legs are greenish-black. The two sexes have a similar appearance.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets change color and become more bright, particularly on their legs and face.
Their pale orange patches darken during the breeding season. During the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises become 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 they only stay in North America throughout the summer in Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southern US states.
Yet, after breeding, those that breed farther north, primarily in the eastern United States.
Cattle Egrets may be found in native grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice paddies wherever hoofed animals are present.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic environments, such as riverbanks, ponds, and shallow marshes, despite their preference for staying on land and on top of cattle. Golf courses, lawns, sporting fields, garbage dumps, and parks are also possible habitats for them.
Insects, mostly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths make up the diet of Cattle Egrets. Spider, frogs, tiny snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are among the animals they consume.
Females lay up to nine eggs, which they care for for around twenty-five days in a incubator. The young take around 45 days to fledge, become fully independent from their parents, and develop fully.
Fun Fact: Instead of correcting for light refraction when feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to forage on land by having binocular vision.
6. Snowy Egret
During the summer and during migration, snowy egrets can be found in eastern North Dakota. They are most prevalent around June and July, with 1% of checklists having them.
During the summer and migration, snowy egrets can be found in eastern North Dakota. They are found in 1% of checklists during this time of year, and they are most frequent in June and July.
Little, all-white herons called Snowy Egrets, as the name suggests. They have long, black bills, long, black legs, and brilliant yellow foots. Their irises are yellow and their skin surrounds their eyes is long.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courting, their lores or cheeks become reddish-pink, and their toes become orange-red.
Interestingly, during aggressive encounters, these regions of their bodies become bright red.
Adults and juveniles have head plumes, but not juveniles. Lores and legs are more greenish-yellow, and their bills and legs are lighter in color.
- Egretta thula
- Length: 22 – 27 in (56 -69 cm)
- Weight: 16.75 oz (475 g)
- Wingspan: 39.4 in (100 cm)
Except for the Gulf Coast and the southwest coast, snowy egrets migrate across most of the United States. In Mexico, Central, and South America, they are found all year.
Snowy Egrets may be found in marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries. They prefer shallow marshland environments. They like swamp woods with shield trees and shrubs for nesting.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are among the foods sought by snowy egrets in shallow water. They may wait for prey to approach them or they may agitation the water to make capturing it simpler.
The males choose Snowy Egret nests. They choose a spot and prepare to exhibit themselves in order to attract mates. The woguys continue to offer sticks, sedges, or reeds to the females while they construct the nest.
Nests are often found on the ground, hidden in shrubs or trees. The female lays two to six eggs, with both parents taking turns incubating them. The average incubation period is 24 days.
Fun Fact: Because of their wonderful white head feathers, snowy egrets were almost exterminated, and women’s hats were nearly bereft of them.
7. Green Heron
In North Dakota, green herons are rather uncommon, however from May to September, they breed in the state’s southeast.
The glossy green-black coloring of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of Green Herons is what gives them their name; from a distance, they appear hunched and dark.
During the breeding season, their bills change color from two-toned to black with a yellow bottom. Their irises and legs likewise fade from yellow to orange.
Chestnut or maroon is their hair, neck, and breasts. The neck has a white stripe that runs the length of it from front to back. Gray is the color of their bellies.
Browner, with black heads and a crest, juveniles are more visible.
- Butorides virescens
- Length: 18 – 22 in (46 – 56 cm)
- Weight: 9.17 oz (260 g)
- Wingspan: 25 – 26 in (64 – 66 cm)
Before migrating south, green herons breed mostly in the eastern United States 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 damp environments with deep 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 Green Heron’s diet. Rather of wading, they hunt from the shore by perching on sticks over the water.
Females deposit up to six eggs over the course of two days. The last egg is laid before the parents begin incubating, which takes around twenty days. As their babies emerge, they feed them.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, are used by Green Herons to catch their prey, which is one of the few bird species that do so. (Davis and Kushlan, 1994).
8. Least Bittern
Least Bitterns are usually seen in eastern North Dakota during the breeding season, from mid-May to August, although not as common here.
In the reeds, you’ll probably hear the Least Bitterns first, since they’re the smallest herons in North America.
Their bills are yellow, and they have brownish and white feathers with a black cap and top. They grip the reeds with their long toes and claws.
Males and females have comparable backs and crowns, although they are lighter in adulthood.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
The range of Little Bitterns is Europe and Africa, with a few exceptions in North America.
In shallow freshwater and brackish marshlands with plenty of tall cattails and reeds, you may find Least Bitterns. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
When they sense danger, they will immediately freeze up, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in time with the reeds.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice make up the diet of Least Bitterns. They perch themselves on the reeds, sometimes twisting and turning themselves to reach their prey, who is on the surface of the pond.
The female of Least Bitterns creates well-camouflaged nest platforms made out of cattails and marsh vegetation. Both parents incubate the eggs for approximately twenty days, which she lays up to seven. They then regurgitate food for newborn chicks.
Fun Fact: The necks of least bitterns are quite long, yet they remain bent.
9. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In North Dakota, yellow-crowned night-herons are an unusual species that has been designated as an accidental species. In 2011, they were last seen around Douglas Creek.
The yellow crowns of adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons are topped with two plumes. They have black bills that are large. They have a little white patch on the sides of their heads, with the rest of their heads being black.
They have red eyes that change from yellow to orange to red as they grew up.
Their wings have a scaled design and their bodies are gray-blue. During the breeding season, their legs turn coral, pink, or red and are long and yellow.
Grayish-brown juveniles with white streaks and spots cover their bodies. It takes three years for them to reach maturity.
- Nyctanassa violacea
- Length: 22 – 28 in (56 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz ( 726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 0 44 in (107 – 112 cm)
Before migrating south, yellow-crowned night-herons breed mostly in southeastern states. Throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they are present all year.
In coastal locations with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and areas where you may feed, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons at daybreak and dusk.
Crustaceans such as crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-heron’s diets. Fish, inanimals, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rats and birds are among the animals they consume. Small prey can be swallowed in an instant.
Crabs are frequently dismembered or stabbed.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons Nest in Little, loose colonies, but they always nest near water. Both parents construct the nests out of softened grass, leaves, or moss-covered sticks and twigs.
After that, she lays up to eight eggs, which they share in the incubator for three weeks. Chicks are fed by regurgitation after they hatch. They can fly on their own at fifty days after they fledge, around a month.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can kill horses and humans, is carried by the yellow-crowned night-heron.
10. Tricolored Heron
In North Dakota, the tricolored heron is an accidental species. They were last seen in Dawson in 2015 and are extremely rare in the state.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron distinguishes it from other herons.
Adults that are not breeding have a mix of blue-gray, purple, and white feathers. Their bills are black with a yellowish or greyish color. They have yellow or olive green legs and feet.
Adults have blue base of their bill and slender, white feathers extending from the back of their heads. Their necks and backs have more delicate feathers as well. Their legs, too, turn an reddish 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)
All year round, the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America are home to tricolored herons. Further north along the Atlantic Coast, those that breed migrate south.
In freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps, you may spot Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are protective of their feeding areas and are solitary feeders. Other wading birds who wish to feed on their area and adore tiny fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects will be chased away by them.
Stalking, chasing, standing, and waiting for their victim is what they’re expected to do. Before striking, they squat low in the water, with their bellies and necks drawn in, their bellies touching the surface.
Heron colonies in trees and shrubs include nests made of sticks. The female lays three to five eggs, and the parents spend three weeks incubating them together before they hatch. The young are also fed by both of them.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron was once known as the Louisiana Heron.
11. Little Blue Heron
North Dakota has only seen a few Little Blue Herons, the most recent of which was at Crystal Springs in 2018.
Little Blue Herons aren’t as little as they seem. With long, extended bodies, they’re medium to large-sized. With hanging feathers across the nape, their heads and necks have a purple tinge.
During the breeding season, their eyes may become gray-green. Their two-toned bills are long and dagger-like, with black tips on the ends. Slate-blue is the color of their skin. Long, black to grey-green legs characterize this species.
Until they reach the age of one, juvenile Little Blue Herons are completely white. They then develop a dark gray, blue, and white coloration.
- Egretta caerulea
- Length: 24 – 29 in (61 – 74 cm)
- Weight: 16.22 oz (460 g)
- Wingspan: 40 – 41 in (102 – 104 cm)
Eastern American states are home to Little Blue Herons, who migrate south during the winter before settling in southern South America for the year.
Little Blue Herons may be seen 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 hunt in a more elegant manner. They just sit 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 Little Blue Heron’s diet. Adults prefer to forage alone, whereas juveniles prefer to be with mixed groups.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ appearance among Snowy Egrets allows them to acquire more fish and offer additional protection against predators, which is why they are sometimes seen with white coloring.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In North Dakota In Summer And Winter
Checklists can be used to determine which birds are most often seen in your region. In North Dakota, during the summer and winter, these tables reveal which herons are most commonly seen on ebird checklists.
Herons in North Dakota in summer:
Great Blue Heron 6.5%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3.8%
American Bittern 3.4%
Great Egret 3.2%
Cattle Egret 1.2%
Snowy Egret 1.1%
Green Heron 0.7%
Least Bittern 0.2%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Herons in North Dakota in winter:
Great Blue Heron 0.1%
Great Egret <0.1%
Black-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%