Pennsylvania has Sighted 11 of the 17 Heron Species that are native to North America. This guide will assist you in identifying and understanding these long-legged birds.
Herons, which may be seen fishing in your back yard pond for a quick snack, are water-loving birds that live in both saltwater and freshwater.
Nevertheless, many of your fish herons are protected, so a net is your best option if you’re having problems.
Herons often build huge colonies called heronries where they breed, but they typically hunt alone by remaining perfectly still and distracting or coursing about.
A collection of herons is known by a variety of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” and even the term “scattering” of herons.
You might want to learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans you may see in Pennsylvania if you like seeing waterbirds.
11 Species Of Heron In Pennsylvania
1. Great Blue Heron
During the breeding season in Pennsylvania, Great Blue Herons may be seen, and some individuals stay throughout the year in the state’s southeast. They are seen on 14% of bird watcher-submitted summer and winter checklists for the state, respectively.
The Great Blue Heron is North America’s largest heron, and it is a huge, impressive 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 orange-yellow in color.
Long gray necks, black and white streaking on the front, grayish-blue bodies, and long gray legs characterize them.
- Ardea herodias
- Length: 46 – 52 in (117 – 132 cm)
- Weight: 128 oz (3628 g)
- Wingspan: 77 – 82 in (196 – 208 cm)
The majority of Great Blue Herons remain in the United States throughout the year, however they migrate south to breed.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a white morph of the Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Herons may be found in a variety of wetlands. Fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded marshes, lake borders, and beachlines 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.
When wading or standing in water, they are able to capture their prey. Hovering above water, diving into it, jumping feet-first from perches, and floating on the water’s surface are just a few examples.
On colonies high in trees near to water, Great Blue Herons build nests. Twigs and sticks are used to construct the nests, which are lined with softer material.
Great Blue Herons may expand and rebuild their nests as they reuse them, increasing the nest’s size over time.
After that, the female will lay two to seven eggs. Over four weeks, both parents alternate incubating the eggs.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, Great Blue Herons protect their eating area with spectacular wing-outstretched displays.
2. Green Heron
In April, Blue Herons arrive in Pennsylvania and start moving in October. They may be found in 6% of summer checklists and breed in the state.
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 bent and gloomy.
During the breeding season, their bills change from two-toned to black. They have a dark top and a yellow bottom. Their irises and legs also darken from yellow to orange.
Chestnut or maroon coloration covers their heads, necks, and breasts. The front length of the neck is striped with a white central stripe. Gray is the color of their bellies.
With black 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 heading south, Green Herons prefer to breed in the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast. Those, however, are permanent throughout the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
Green Herons may be found in bogs, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other wet environments with dense 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 hunt from shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are built in the trees over water, but they may also be located on the ground, disguised beneath shrubs.
Females lay two to six eggs at two-day intervals. The final egg is laid, and both parents begin incubating it, which takes 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. (Davis and Kushlan, 1994) This is one of the few bird species that uses tools for foraging.
3. Great Egret
From mid-March to October, Great Egrets are most often seen in eastern Pennsylvania, and they appear on 3% of summer checklists.
When males have neon green face skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) protruding from their backs to their tails, Great Egrets are at their most beautiful during the breeding season. Males show off these aigrettes during courting like a peacock does its tail.
They’re Great White Herons because they’re huge, all-white herons. Common egrets are another name for them. These huge birds feature dagger-like, long, brilliant yellow beaks and black legs and feet. They are white in color.
Males, females, and juveniles all appear the same when they are not breeding.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
The worldwide range of Great Egrets is tremendous. Those in the southern and coastal United States dwell throughout the year, while those in Canada move south during winter.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of the diet of Great Egrets. Great Egrets stand motionless on the water, waiting and scouting for their meal, before striking and spearing it with their long bills.
The colonies of Great Egret nests can be found. To protect the 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. Females deposit up to six eggs and the eggs are incubated for around twenty-five days by both parents.
Fun Fact: Because of its lengthy white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was on the verge of extinction. They were mostly utilized to adorn women’s hats.
4. Black-crowned Night-Heron
During the breeding season, from April to mid-September, Black-crowned Night-Herons may be found mostly in southeastern Pennsylvania. During migration, however, some may be seen here.
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 other storks.
The black caps of adult Black-crowned Night-herons reach out over their black bills, extending from a white line.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, and their eyes are red. Underneath, they are white, whereas on the backside, they are darker. Yellow is the color of their legs and feet.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, and their eyes are red. Underneath, they’re white, but on the rear, they’re black. 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. Legs and feet become red or pink, as well as the lores turning black.
The juveniles have a dull greyish-brown color with streaking and speckling.
- 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 goes across the globe. Before moving south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Along the coasts, some may be found year-round.
Black-crowned Night-herons may be found in dampland environments such as shallow freshwater or brackish water. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also used to house them.
Night-feeders, such as crayfish and fish, and even turtles or worms, are black-crowned night-herons. They feed on whatever they can find at night.
The males build nests of Black-crowned Night-herons in bushes and trees, which are used in the process of choosing their mates.
The female will lay up to seven eggs over the course of two days. For roughly twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs that have been laid. For approximately three weeks, the parents will care for their newborn.
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.
5. Little Blue Heron
From July to September, Little Blue Herons are frequently seen in Pennsylvania, accounting for 2% of all checklists during this season.
Little Blue Herons are actually quite big birds. Their bodies are long and slender, ranging from medium to huge. With drooping feathers over the nape, their heads and necks have a purplish tint.
Throughout the breeding season, their eyes turn gray-green, which is a pale yellow color. Two-toned – pale blue or grayish with black tips – their long, dagger-like bills are two-toned. Slate-blue is the color of their skin. They have black to gray-green legs that are unusually long.
Before turning a mixtures 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)
Little Blue Herons breed in the eastern United States before heading south, but those in the Gulf Coast and Mexico stay there all year.
Little Blue Herons may be found in swamps, marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, fish hatcheries, or flooded fields. They’re even found near water.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more graceful motion. They simply stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey, instead of dashing about across the water.
Fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, spiders, crustaceans, mice, and insects make up the diet of Little Blue Herons. Adults forage alone, but juveniles prefer to be with mixed groups.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed of sticks and are commonly found in groups with other herons. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. The incubation period may last up to twenty-four days, with both parents contributing.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons are able to capture more fish and gain extra protection from predators because of the white coloring of their skin.
6. American Bittern
In April, American Bitterns are most often seen migrating through Pennsylvania.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you may hear their strange watery boom calls before seeing them. Below you’ll find some samples…
The Heron family of birds includes American Bitterns, which are stout, medium-sized birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, they resemble the reeds they hide in, and their ability to remain motionless amid the reeds with their head tilted up, they seem to be a lot like them.
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 virtually always home to American Bitterns.
Search for them among the coarse vegetation on the edges of lakes and ponds.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait quietly in the reeds, blending in with their surroundings and staying motionless and quiet until their meal comes into range. They rush out quickly to capture them.
American Bitterns’ nests may be discovered among rough vegetation on the water’s surface. Females select a reed, sedge, cattail, or other plant to create their nest site by themselves.
They lay up to seven eggs, which are stored and incubated for around twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks directly into their beaks when they are hatched. They leave the nest after two weeks, and it takes them six to seven weeks to reach full adulthood.
Fun Fact: Just like the reeds that conceal them to hide themselves, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
7. Snowy Egret
From April through October, snowy egrets may be seen in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg and Scranton are where they breed.
Snowy Egrets are tiny all-white herons that bear their name. They have long, black bills, long, black legs, and brilliant yellow toes. They have yellow irises and skin around their eyes.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courtship, their lores or cheek skin become reddish-pink, and their toes turn orange.
During violent encounters, these parts of their bodies also turn bright red.
Adults and juveniles have head plumes, but not juveniles. Their bills and legs are also lighter in color, with lores and legs that are 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 coast, snowy egrets migrate throughout most US states. Throughout Mexico, Central, and South America, they stay throughout the year.
Snowy Egrets may be found in marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries. They prefer shallow, wetland environments. Swamp forests with protective trees and shrubs are preferred for nesting.
Fish, crabs, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all eaten by snowy egrets in shallow water. They may keep still and wait for prey to come to them, or they may agitate the water by bringing their prey to the surface.
Males select the nests of Snowy Egrets. They choose a spot and put on a full show to attract their mates. Males continue to supply sticks, sedges, or reeds when they couple up, and the female constructs the nest.
Nests are most often found on the ground, in trees or bushes. Both parents take turns incubating their eggs after the female lays two to six eggs. The average incubation period is twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, which were ideal decoration or accessory to women’s hats, snowy egrets were almost hunted to extinction.
8. Least Bittern
During migration and throughout the summer, least bitterns may be seen in eastern Pennsylvania, although they are uncommon.
In the reeds, you may hear Least Bitterns before you see them, because they are the smallest herons in the Americas.
With a black cap and yellow beak, they are brown and white hues. They grip the reeds with their long toes and claws.
Males have heavier backs and crowns, whereas females and juveniles have lighter backs.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
The Bitterns’ typical range includes Europe and Africa, although they may be found in North America on occasion.
Least Bitterns may be found in thick freshwater and brackish marshlands, with several tall cattails and reeds. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They’ll instantly stiffen, raise their bills to the sky, and sway with the reeds in response to a perceived danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and sometimes mice are among the foods of the Least Bittern. They place themselves on the reeds and perform acrobatic contortions to reach their prey, which is sometimes just inches away.
The female of Least Bitterns erects well-concealed platforms from cattails and marsh vegetation, which she constructs. For approximately twenty days, both parents incubate the eggs she lays up to seven. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: Hunchbacked Least Bitterns are not uncommon, but they aren’t universal.
9. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Yellow-crowned Night-Herons breed in the area around Harrisburg, though they are not particularly common here. During migration, they’ve been spotted in and around Pittsburgh and Lancaster.
The crowns of adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons are yellow, with two plumes protruding from their heads. Their black bills stand out against their white bodies. Their remaining heads are black, with a little white patch on each side of their faces.
As they grew up, their eyes became red and shifted from yellow to orange to red.
Their wings have a scaled pattern and are gray-blue in color. During the breeding season, their legs grow longer and turn coral, pink, or red.
Grayish-brown, with white streaks and spots, is the color of juveniles. They take three years 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 migrating south, yellow-crowned night-herons breed primarily in the southern United States. Throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they are present throughout the year.
In coastal places with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and significant edges on which to feed, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons at dawn and dusk.
Crustaceans such as crabs and crayfish make up the majority of the Yellow-crowned Night-heron’s diet. Fish, insects, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rodents, and birds are among the animals they consume. Little prey may be devoured in an instant by them.
Crabs are frequently killed by being dismembered or stabbed.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in small, loose colonies, which they do all the time. Both parents construct the nests using soft sticks and twigs gathered from grass, leaves, or moss.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in tiny, loose colonies, which they do frequently. Both parents construct the nests from soft sticks and twigs, which are collected from grass, leaves, or moss.
After that, she lays up to eight eggs, which the two of them incubate for three weeks. Chicks are fed through regurgitation after they hatch. They fledge after approximately a month and are capable of flying on their own at fifty days.
Fun Fact: A deadly mosquito-borne virus (eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus) can kill horses and people, and yellow-crowned night-herons may carry it.
10. Cattle Egret
During breeding season, Cattle Egrets can be found in southeastern Pennsylvania, and during migration, they may be found in the northwest.
Cattle Egrets use a clever technique to get their meal…they stand on the backs of cattle, which enables them to capture the fleeing prey when the cattle shift and rumble.
Cattle Egrets have white bodies and light orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs. They are little, short-necked egrets with a short neck.
Their eyes and skin around their face are yellow. Their bills are small, and their legs are greenish-black. Both men and women have a similar appearance.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets’ color changes and they grow brighter, particularly on their legs and face.
Their pale orange patches darken during the breeding season. At the peak of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises turn bright red, and the facial skin (lores) turn 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 year round in Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southwestern US states, but their range is mostly limited to North America.
Nonetheless, after breeding, those that breed farther north, mostly in the eastern US, move south.
Breeders, on the other hand, migrate south after breeding because of their proximity to the north.
Cattle Egrets are most common in grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice paddies where there is hoofed cattle.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic habitats, 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 among the places where they may be found.
Insects, mostly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths are the main food of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are also among the animals they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are generally constructed in woodlands near lakes or rivers, on marshes, or on tiny islands. They are formed of sticks and reeds.
Cattle Egret nests are generally created in woods near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on tiny islands. They are constructed of sticks and reeds.
They incubate up to nine eggs for around twenty-five days, which they deposit in the nest. The juvenile grows, fledges, and becomes completely independent of their parents over a period of 45 days.
Fun Fact: Instead of correcting for light refraction while eating in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved binocular vision to judge distance while hunting on land.
11. Tricolored Heron
Although Pennsylvania is not home to many Tricolored Herons, during migration, you may see some in the state’s southeast.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron distinguishes it from other herons.
Adults that are not breeding have blue-gray, purple, and white feathers in their mix. Their bills have a black tip and are yellowish or greyish in color. They have yellow or olive green legs and feet.
Adults with non-breeding plumage have blue-gray, purple, and white feathers mixed in. Yellowish or greyish in color, with a black tip, their bills are. Yellow or olive green is the color of their legs and feet.
The back of the heads of breeding adults are also covered in thin, white feathers, and their beaks turn blue at the base. On their necks and backs, they have finer feathers. Their legs, too, become a reddish color.
The neck, upper breasts, upper back, and wings of juveniles are generally reddish-brown in colour.
- Egretta tricolor
- Length: 24 – 26 in (61 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 14.6 oz (414 g)
- Wingspan: 36 in (91 cm)
Over the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America, Tricolored Herons can be found all year. Breeding animals migrate south as they approach the Atlantic Coast.
In freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps, you may see Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are territorial feeders who defend their feeding areas. They love to eat small fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects, so other wading birds will be chased away from their territory.
Stalking, chasinfg, standing, and waiting for their victim are all common activities of these animals. Before striking, they crouch low on the water, their bellies pressed against the surface and their necks drawn in.
Tricolored Heron nests are produced in trees and shrubs, and they’re created of sticks. The female lays three to five eggs, and the parents share in the incubation period, which lasts three weeks before the eggs hatch. The young are also fed by them both.
Tricolored Heron nests are sticks built in colonies on trees and shrubs. After that, the female lays three to five eggs and the parents take turns incubating them for three weeks before they hatch. They both breastfeed the infants as well.
Tricolored Heron nests are stick nests that are built in groups on trees and shrubs. The female lays three to five eggs, which are shared by both parents during the three-week incubation period. They also give milk to the baby.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron was formerly known as the Louisiana Heron.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Pennsylvania In Summer And Winter
Using checklists, you may find out which birds are most often seen in your region. In the summer and winter of Pennsylvania, these lists rank which herons are most often seen on eBird checklists.
Herons in Pennsylvania in summer:
Great Blue Heron 14.0%
Green Heron 6.8%
Great Egret 3.2%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.5%
Least Bittern 0.3%
Little Blue Heron 0.2%
American Bittern 0.2%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 0.2%
Snowy Egret 0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Herons in Pennsylvania in winter:
Great Blue Heron 6.7%
Great Egret <0.1%
Black-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
American Bittern <0.1%
Green Heron <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%