In Ontario, nine of the seventeen species of herons that live throughout North America have been discovered. There are four more that are uncommon or unintentional. This guide will assist you identify and understand more about these long-legged birds.
Herons are saltwater, freshwater, and even peering into your backyard pond for a quick snack-on. They are water-loving birds.
Yet, many of your fish herons are protected, thus a net is your best option if you’re having trouble catching them.
Herons prefer to hunt alone by sitting motionless and waiting or by dashing about to stimulate the victim, which they do in large colonies known as heronries.
A collection of herons is known by a variety of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” and even the surreal term “siege” and “pose.”
You should learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans that you may see in Ontario if you like seeing waterbirds.
13 Species Of Heron In Ontario
1. Great Blue Heron
During the breeding season, Great Blue Herons are plentiful in Ontario, but from August to September, their numbers rise during fall migration. In the province’s southeast, near Toronto, some also survive all year.
Bird watchers in the province have reported them in 14% of summer checklists and 1% of winter checklists.
The biggest heron native to North America, Great Blue Herons are huge, magnificent birds.
From the front of their eyes to the back of their heads, they have a white face with a black crest or plume. Yellow-orangish is the color of their bills.
Grayish-blue bodies and grayish-blue legs, with long gray necks with black and white streaking in the front.
- Ardea herodias
- Length: 46 – 52 in (117 – 132 cm)
- Weight: 128 oz (3628 g)
- Wingspan: 77 – 82 in (196 – 208 cm)
Most states in the US have Great Blue Herons throughout the year, although they migrate south as they breed in the Mid-West.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a white morph of the Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Herons can be found in a variety of wetland habitats. Fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded marshes, lake borders, and beachfronts 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. Hovering above water, diving into it, leaping feet-first from perches, and floating on the surface are some of their other abilities.
Great Blue Herons build nests in colonies high up in trees beside bodies of water. Twigs and sticks are used to build the nests, which are lined with softer material.
Since Great Blue Herons reuse their nests, the nests may grow in size over time as they are repaired and added to.
The female then lays two to seven eggs. The eggs are incubated for around four weeks by both parents.
The female deposits two to seven eggs. For around four weeks, both parents take turns incubating the eggs.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back and their wings stretched out, Great Blue Herons protect their feeding area with spectacular displays.
2. Great Egret
From April through October, Great Egrets breed in Ontario, with the majority of the birds breeding around the south. Summer checklists include them in 3% of the time.
Males have neon green facial skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) extending from their backs to their tails during breeding season, which they display off during courting, just like a peacock displays out its tail. Great Egrets are at their best then.
They’re known as Great White Herons because they’re huge, all-white herons. Common egrets are another name for them. These enormous birds are white, with dagger-like bills and long, black legs and feet. They have dagger-like bills as well.
Males, females, and juveniles of non-breeding age all have the same appearance.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
The range of Great Egrets is enormous. Those from the southern and coastal US regions remain throughout the year, although those from Canada migrate south.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater 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, which stand motionless on the water while waiting and scouting for their prey, then stab and spear it with their lengthy bills, are visible.
Great Egret colonies have nests. To guard the nests against predators like raccoons, they are usually placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Sticks, twigs, and stems from marsh plants are used to make them. Females lay six eggs, and both parents care for them for around twenty-five days before they hatch.
Fun Fact: Because of their long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was nearly hunted to extinction.
3. Green Heron
Summer checklists account for 4% of the time spent by Green Herons in southern Ontario. They arrive in March and begin to move about in October.
The glossy green-black sheen of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons attracts people’s attention when they look bent and gloomy from a distance.
During the breeding season, their bills turn black, with a two-toned top and a yellow bottom. Their irises and legs are likewise orange in color.
Chestnut or maroon are the colors of their heads, necks, and breasts. The neck is striped with a white stripe that runs the length of the neck. They have gray bellies.
With dark caps 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 migrating south, Green Herons breed primarily in the Eastern US and the Pacific Coast. The coastlines of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and Mexico, on the other hand, stay open all year.
Green Herons can be found in damp environments with deep vegetation such as bogs, marshes, lakes, and ponds. They may stay in dry woods or orchards if there are water sources nearby, though they prefer coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rodents make up the Green Heron’s diet. Rather than wading, they hunt from the shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are constructed of long, thin twigs placed high in trees above water, although others may lay them beneath bushes on the ground.
Females lay two eggs per day, at two-day intervals, ranging from six to ten. The last egg is laid, and both parents begin incubation, which lasts around twenty days. As soon as their eggs hatch, they start feeding their young.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, is used by Green Herons to catch their prey, which is one of the few bird species that do. (Davis and Kushlan 1994)
4. Black-crowned Night-Heron
From April to October, black-crowned night-herons can be seen in southern Ontario. Summer checklists contain 2% of them.
The typical description of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Herons. It has a shorter bill, neck, and legs than most other ducks.
Black caps extend from a white line above the black bills of adult Black-crowned Night-herons.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, while their eyes are red. The back is darker than the rest of the body. They have yellow legs and feet.
The head and back become glossy blue-green during the breeding season, with two or three white feathers appearing on the crown. The legs and feet turn red or pink, as do the lores.
The overall color of juveniles is a dull grayish-brown with streaking and spotting.
- 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 moving south, they breed in the United States and Canada. On the coasts, some of them stay 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 raise them.
Night-feeders, such as black-crowned night herons, feed on anything they can find, from crayfish and fish to even turtles or worms.
In preparation for selecting their mates, Black-crowned Night-heron males construct nests in bushes and trees, which are begun by the males.
After that, the female will deposit up to seven eggs every two days. After about twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs. For roughly three weeks, the parents will be in charge of their infant.
Fun Fact: A colony of Black-crowned Night-herons has inhabited the National Zoo in Washington, DC for more than a century.
5. American Bittern
From April to mid-October, American Bitterns are active in Ontario. Summer checklists include them at a rate of 2%.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you may hear weird watery boom calls before you ever see them. Below are a few samples of their work.
The Heron family includes the 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 upwards, they resemble the reeds they hide in.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, they resemble the reeds they hide in, and their ability to stay still among the reeds with their head elevated.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that change to orange during courting.
- 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 nearly exclusively.
To find them, focus your eyes on the margins of lakes and ponds amid the rough vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small creatures make up the American Bitterns’ diet. They wait in ambush among the reeds, moving slowly and quietly while waiting for their victim to approach before darting forward swiftly to capture them in their beaks.
American Bittern Calls: Listen to their unusual watery boom calls. It’s one of the oddest bird calls I’ve ever heard.
American Bitterns’ nests may be discovered amid rough vegetation on the water’s edge. Females select a nest location and construct it with available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants.
They lay up to seven eggs, which are kept for around twenty-six days before being incubated. Females feed the chicks straight into their beaks when they are born. They fledge the nest after two weeks, and it takes between six and seven weeks for them to be fully fledged.
Fun Fact: Bitterns, like reeds that hide them to conceal themselves, swing gently from side to side and point upwards.
6. Least Bittern
Southeastern Ontario is home to the Least Bitterns, who come in April and depart in September.
The smallest herons in the Americas, least bitterns are difficult to detect in the reeds. They may be heard before you see them.
Their yellow beak is tinted in brown and white, with a black cap and black top. They have claws and long toes that help them hold onto the reeds.
Females and juveniles have lighter backs and crowns than males, but they are similar in appearance.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
Bitterns are typically found across Europe and Africa, although they may wander into North America on rare occasions.
Least Bitterns may be found in thick freshwater and brackish marshlands, with plenty of tall cattails and reeds. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They’ll stiffen up, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in rhythm with the reeds as soon as they sense danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and even mice are among the foods eaten by Least Bitterns. They get themselves situated on the reeds, leaping about to reach their victim in the water’s surface. They do acrobatic contortions just to get there.
The female of the Least Bitterns builds well-concealed nests made of cattails and marsh vegetation. The eggs are laid by her and incubated by both parents for around twenty days. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: The necks of least bitterns are long, but they remain hunchbacked.
7. Cattle Egret
During migration, Cattle Egrets are often seen in southern Ontario, but they aren’t that frequent.
Cattle Egrets employ a clever strategy for catching their prey…they stand on the backs of cattle, catching the moving prey as the cattle wander and disturb the earth.
Cattle Egrets utilize a clever strategy to capture their prey…they stand on the backs of cattle and catch the moving food when the cattle graze and disturb the earth.
White bodies and pale orange-brown patches on the heads, necks, and backs of Cattle Egrets make them small, short-necked egrets.
Their irises and face are yellow, as is their skin. Their bills are small, and their legs are greenish-black. Males and femen look almost identical.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets’ color changes, becoming brighter on their legs and face.
Their light orange patches become darker orange during the breeding season. At the peak of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises become a vivid red color, and their face 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)
The range of Cattle Egrets extends across the globe, but they are exclusively found in Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and the southwestern US states throughout the year.
Those that breed further north, however, migrate south after breeding, primarily to eastern states.
Cattle Egrets may be seen in native grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice fields wherever there are hoofed cattle.
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 common places for them to be found.
Insects, namely grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths are the main food of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are among the animals they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are often constructed in woodlands near lakes or rivers, on small islands, and made of sticks and reeds.
The eggs are laid by the female and incubated for around twenty-five days. The juvenile takes roughly 45 days to develop, fledge, and completely separate from their parents.
Fun Fact: Cattle Egrets have binocular vision to judge distance while catching prey on land rather than correcting for light refraction while feeding in water, which has evolved to suit their foraging on land.
8. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In Ontario, yellow-crowned night-herons are a uncommon or accidental species, although they have been sighted during the summer and migration in the southeast.
The crowns of adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons are yellow, with two plumes extending from the head. Their huge bills are black in color. The sides beneath their eyes are white, and the remainder of their heads are black.
As they grew up, their eyes became red, then yellow, orange, and finally red.
Their wings have a scaled pattern and their bodies are gray-blue. During the breeding season, their legs grow longer and yellow, then turn coral, pink, or red.
Grayish-brown juveniles with white streaks and dots are born. 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 the southern United States. In Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they are found all year.
In coastal areas with a lot of crustaceans, shallow water, and good feeding opportunities, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons at daybreak and dusk.
Crustaceans like crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-herons’ diet. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rats, and birds are among the other foods they consume. They can devour modest prey in a flash.
Crabs are frequently dismembered or stabbed in the body.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons’ nests are generally discovered in tiny, loose colonies, but they always construct near water. Both parents build the nests, which are made of soft sticks and twigs covered in grass, leaves, or moss.
They then incubate up to eight eggs for roughly three weeks together. The chicks are fed through regurgitation when they hatch. They fledge after a month and can fly on their own at fifty days old.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can kill horses and humans, may be carried by yellow-crowned night-herons.
9. Snowy Egret
In Ontario, snowy egrets are uncommon, although they may be seen from April to October in the southeast of the province, near Toronto.
Snowy Egrets are tiny, all-white herons that go by the name “Snowy Egrets.” Their irises are yellow, and their skin is black around their eyes. They have long, black beaks, long, black legs, and bright yellow feet.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courtship, their lores or face skin turn reddish-pink, and their toes turn orange-red.
Surprisingly, during fierce confrontations, these sections of their bodies turn 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. Throughout Central and South America, they are present throughout the year.
Marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries are all good places to look for Snowy Egrets. They prefer swampy woods with protective trees and vegetation for nesting.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They may rest quietly until prey comes to them, or they can agitate the water to make capturing it easier for themselves.
Snowy Egret males select nests. They choose a spot and bring it to life by displaying themselves. The guys continue to offer sticks, sedges, or reeds to the females while they construct the nest.
Nests are frequently found on the ground, hidden in shrubs. Both parents take turns incubating their eggs after the female lays two to six eggs. The incubation period usually lasts twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their exquisite white head feathers, which were sometimes used as a hat accessory or decoration, snowy egrets were almost hunted to extinction.
10. Little Blue Heron
While on migration, little blue herons have been seen in the southeast of the province, but they are rarely seen in Ontario.
Little Blue Herons aren’t that small, even if they’re little. Their bodies are long and slender, ranging from medium to large. With dangling feathers across the nape, their heads and necks have a purplish hue.
During the breeding season, their eyes can turn gray-green, which is a light yellow color. Their two-toned bills, which are pale blue or grayish with black tips, are long and dagger-like. Their skin is a slate-blue color. Long, black to grey-green legs are their most distinguishing feature.
Before becoming a blend 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 leaving for the south, Little Blue Herons breed in eastern United States, but all year long they may be found along the Gulf Coast and Mexico.
Little Blue Herons may be seen around water, from swamps, marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats to canals and flooded fields.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more elegant manner. Instead of rushing about on the water, they simply rest in shallow areas and wait for their prey.
Fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, spiders, crustaceans, mice, and insects are among the foods that Little Blue Herons eat. Adults prefer to go it alone, whereas juveniles prefer to remain in mixed groups.
Little Blue Heron nests are fashioned of sticks and are usually located in groups with other herons. The female may lay up to six eggs. For up to twenty-four days, both parents share in the incubation.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ white coloring enables them to hunt more fish and gain additional protection from predators because they may be seen among Snowy Egrets.
11. Reddish Egret
In Ontario, Reddish Egrets are considered a threatened and accidental species, with just one sighting in 2018 at Oliphant Beach.
This is one of the greatest birds to observe because of Reddish Egrets’ dark pink and grayish-blue tones as well as their frantic hunting activity.
They look reddish, but they come in dark and light variants, with white variants being uncommon.
Blue-gray bodies, cinnamon-toned heads, necks, and breasts characterize dark morph Reddish Egrets. Pink, with a black tip, is the color of their bills.
The bodies of white morphs are totally white. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their skin around (lores) is darker, while their legs and feet are blue-black.
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 all the way down to 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 eat mostly by themselves. In order to catch fish, they cross shallow, flooded flats. They immediately stab fish with their beaks after they’ve succeeded in frightening them up.
Reddish Egret nests are frequently found in colonies, and both parent build a stick platform for them. They’re typically found on islands with nearby feeding habitats.
Both parents incubate the female’s eggs, which she lays up to seven of. Even after they leave the nest, they both care for the young and will feed them for up to nine weeks.
Fun Fact: The male will do a head toss display and beak snapping during mating, when his feathers puff out and stand out on his head, neck, and back.
12. Tricolored Heron
In Ontario, Tricolored Herons are an uncommon sight and are classified as an accidental species. In 2022, however, they were spotted in Chatham-Kent and Bruce Peninsula.
The white belly and neck stripe of Tricolored Herons distinguishes them from other herons.
Blue-gray, purple, and white feathers cover non-breeding adults. Yellowish or greyish in color with a black tip, their bills are yellowish or greyish. They have yellow or olive green legs and feet.
Adults have small, white feathers that extend from the rear of their heads, and their bills turn blue as they mature. Fine feathers cover their necks and backs as well. Their legs, too, become a reddish color.
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)
Throughout the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America, Tricolored Herons may be seen all year. Those that breed farther north along the Atlantic Coast move south as well.
Freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps are all places to see Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are self-sufficient feeders who guard their feeding grounds. Other wading birds that want to eat little fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects will be chased away from their area by these birds.
Stalking, pursuing, standing, and waiting for their prey are all normal behaviors. Before striking, they crouch low on the water, with their bellies and necks drawn in and touching the surface.
Tricolored Heron nests are constructed from sticks and may be seen in colonies on trees and bushes. The female lays three to five eggs, and the parents collaborate in the incubation period, which takes three weeks. They also breastfeed their babies.
13. Little Egret
In Ontario, Little Egrets are classified as an accidental species, with just a single sighting in 2015 near Ottawa.
The entire body of Little Egrets is white. Long, slender necks, black beaks, yellow eyes, yellow facial skin (lores), long black legs, and yellow feet characterize them.
Little Egrets have thin feathers on the crowns of their heads, neck, and backs during the breeding season. At the peak of courtship, their face skin becomes red, and their foot skin becomes pink or red.
In addition, there are blue-gray rather than white morphs.
Little ones have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet, and they look the same as adults but 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 recognized as casual visitors to the United States and Canada, with a usual range of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Little Egrets may be found hunting in fish ponds as well as in wetland areas such as lakeshores, riverbanks, ponds, lagoons, marshes, and canals.
Little Egret nests are usually built in reed beds or mangroves, and are made of platform sticks. They’re placed high up in the trees or shrubs. Females do the construction, while males search and carry the materials for building.
The female deposits up to six eggs, which the male and female incubate for three weeks. During roughly two weeks, both moms and dads look after their infants. After six weeks of fledging, they fledge.
Fun Fact: Because of the desire for feathers for fashion at the time, Little Egrets became extinct in Ireland and Great Britain due to overhunting.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Ontario In Summer And Winter
To discover which birds are most often seen in your state, use checklists. In the summer and winter of Ontario, these lists show which herons are most often seen on ebird checklists.
Herons in Ontario in summer:
Great Blue Heron 14.9%
Green Heron 4.1%
Great Egret 3.4%
American Bittern 2.4%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 2.2%
Least Bittern 0.6%
Snowy Egret 0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Little Egret <0.1%
Herons in Ontario in winter:
Great Blue Heron 1.4%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.1%
Great Egret <0.1%
American Bittern <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Green Heron <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%