South Carolina has been home to 12 of the 17 species of herons that live in North America on a regular basis. This guide will aid you in identifying and understanding these long-legged birds.
Herons are water-loving birds that frequent both salt and freshwater, as well as scoping out your backyard pond for a quick snack.
However, since they are protected, a net is your best option if you’re having difficulty with some of your fish herons.
Herons are often found in huge colonies known as heronries, where they breed and hunt together. However, they prefer to hunt on their own by remaining motionless and waiting or dashing about to attract prey.
A collection of herons is known by a wide range of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” and “pose” for example.
You should learn more about the ducks, swans, and pelicans you may see in South Carolina if you like seeing waterbirds.
12 Species Of Heron In South Carolina
1. Great Egret
In South Carolina, great egrets are very frequent and breed across the state until migrating to the shore. Those that breed on the shore remain throughout the year.
In 22% of summer and 20% of winter checklists submitted by bird watchers for the state, they are recorded.
Males have neon green face skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) protruding from their backs to their tails during courting, like a peacock displaying out its tail. Great Egrets are at their best during the breeding season.
They’re sometimes known as Great White Herons because they’re huge, all-white herons. Egrets are also known as common egrets. White with dagger-like, long, bright yellow beaks and long, black legs and feet, these big birds are menacing.
Males, females, and juveniles of non-breeding age all have the same looks.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
The Great Egret has a worldwide range. Those from the southern and coastal United States stay throughout the year, but those from farther inland move south.
Great Egrets can 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 Great Egrets’ diets. Great Egrets, which stand motionless on the water waiting and scouting for prey before striking and spearing it with their long bills, are a sight to see.
Great Egret nests are found in colonies, as are those of little Egrets. To keep the nests safe from predators like raccoons, they are usually placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Stick, twig, and stem marsh plants have been used to create them. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty-five days, which they lay up to six.
Fun Fact: Because of their enormous white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was almost driven to extinction. These feathers were primarily utilized to embellish ladies’ hats.
2. Great Blue Heron
In South Carolina, Great Blue Herons can be found throughout the year and are very common. Summer checklists have a 19% chance of containing them, while winter checklists have a 23% chance.
The Great Blue Heron is the biggest heron native to North America, and they are massive birds.
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 a bright orangish yellow.
From the front of their eyes to the rear of their heads, they have a white face with a black crest or plume. Their skin is yellowish-orange, like their bills.
Long gray necks, black and white streaks in 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 US states are home to Great Blue Herons, although those that breed in the Mid-West and Canada migrate south for the winter.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a subspecies of Great Blue Heron that is white in color.
Great Blue Herons may be found in a variety of wetland habitats. Fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded marshes, lake edges, and shorelines are all habitats for them.
Fish, frogs, salamanders, shrimps, crabs, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other aquatic insects make up the majority of Great Blue Herons’ diet.
When wading or standing in water, they catch their prey. Hovering above water, diving into it, leaping feet-first from perches, and floating on its surface are other ways they can fly.
Great Blue Heron colonies are situated high up in trees close to water, and their nests are found there. Twigs and sticks are lined with softer material to create the nests.
Great Blue Herons have the ability to rebuild and expand their nests over time, which they do by reusing them.
After that, the female lays two to seven eggs. For approximately four weeks, both parents incubate the eggs.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, Great Blue Herons defend their feeding area with magnificent wing-outstretched displays.
3. Snowy Egret
The breeding season is spent in South Carolina, and they may be seen all year along the coast. Summer checklists have 14% of the items, whereas winter checklists have 12%.
The little, all-white herons known as snowy egrets are referred to as such. Their irises are yellow, and their skin is around the eye, as well as their beaks and legs. Their feet are bright yellow.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. Throughout courtship, their lores or face skin become reddish-pink, and their toes become orange-red.
Interestingly, during violent interactions, these sections of their bodies turn bright red.
Adults have head plumes, but juveniles lack them. Their bills and legs are also lighter, with a greenish-yellow lores and legs.
- 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 US states. Throughout Central and South America, they are present throughout the year.
Snowy Egrets may be found in marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries throughout shallow wetland environments. Swamp woodlands with protective trees and shrubs are ideal for nesting.
In shallow water, snowy egrets search for fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish. They may stay still and wait for prey to come to them, or they may stir the water to make capturing it easier.
The males select Snowy Egret nest sites. They choose a spot and strut their stuff in order to entice prospective mates. Males continue to provide sticks, sedges, or reeds as the females construct the nest when they couple up.
Nests are frequently found on the ground, hidden in shrubs. Both parents incubate their eggs, which the female lays two to six. The incubation period is normally twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their exquisite white head feathers, snowy egrets were on the verge of extinction. They were a great addition to women’s hats and were nearly hunted to extinction.
4. Little Blue Heron
Southern South Carolina is home to Little Blue Herons, who spend the year along the coast. Summer checklists have 11% of the items and winter checklists have 8%.
The little blue herons are actually not that small. They have long, extended bodies and are medium to large in size. With dangling feathers over the nape, their heads and necks have a purple tint.
During the breeding season, their eyes become gray-green and are light yellow in color. Their two-toned bills, which are pale blue or grayish with black ends, are long and dagger-like. 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 throughout 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)
Eastern US states are home to Little Blue Herons before they move south, however those in the Gulf Coast and Mexico remain throughout the year.
Little Blue Herons may be found around bodies of water, such as marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches and fish hatcheries.
In contrast to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more elegant manner. They merely stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey, rather than rushing about across the water.
Fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, spiders, crustaceans, mice, and insects make up the Little Blue Heron’s diet. Adults prefer to go off on their own, but juveniles prefer to remain in mixed groups.
Little Blue Heron nests are fashioned of sticks and are typically found in colonies with other herons. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. The incubation period is up to twenty-four days for both parents.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ arrival among Snowy Egrets allows them to capture extra fish and gain additional protection from predators due to their white coloring.
5. Tricolored Heron
Throughout the year, South Carolina’s coast is home to Tricolored Herons. Summer and winter checklists have 11% and 8% of them, respectively.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron instantly distinguishes it from other herons.
The feathers of non-breeding birds are blue-grey, purple, and white. Their bills have a black tip and are yellowish or greyish in color. Yellow or olive green legs and feet
Adults’ bills grow blue as well, with thin white feathers extending from the back of their heads. On their necks and backs, they have thinner feathers. Their legs, too, develop a reddish tint.
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)
The Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America are home to tricolored herons throughout the year. Those that breed farther north along the Atlantic Coast go south for the winter.
Tricolored Herons may be found in lakes, marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps.
Herons that are tricolored are defensive of their feeding sites and eat alone. Wading birds love to eat little fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects, and they’ll drive them away from their area.
Stalking, pursuing, standing, and waiting for their victim is what you can expect from them. Before striking, they crouch low in the water, with their bellies resting against the surface and their necks drawn in.
Tricolored Heron nests are built in colonies in trees and shrubs and are constructed of sticks. The female lays three to five eggs, and both parents take turns incubating them over the course of three weeks. The young are also fed by them.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron was formerly known as the Louisiana Heron.
6. Green Heron
During the breeding season, from April to September, Green Herons are most frequently seen in South Carolina, although they may stay for a while along the coast. Summer checklists include 14% of them.
The glossy green-black coloring of their crowns, crests, backs, and wings attracts the name Green Herons, but up close they appear bent and gloomy.
During the breeding season, their bills become black, with two-toned dark on top and yellow at the bottom. Their iris and legs also change color, from yellow to orange.
Chestnut or maroon on their heads, necks, and breasts. The neck is striped with a white stripe that runs the length of the body. Gray is the color of their bellies.
Browner with dark heads and a crested appearance, juveniles have.
- 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 eastern American states and the Pacific Coast. Those in the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and Mexico, on the other hand, are permanent.
Green Herons may be found in marshes, bogs, lakes, ponds, and other damp environments with dense vegetation. They may stay in dry woodlands 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 Herons’ diet. Rather than wading, they usually hunt from shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are built high in trees above water, but some may leave them on the ground, hidden beneath vegetation. They’re constructed of long, thin twigs.
Females lay two eggs every two days, alternating between two and six. The final egg is deposited, and the parents begin to incubate for around twenty days. When their eggs hatch, both of them 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 do so.
7. Black-crowned Night-Heron
All year, the coast of South Carolina is home to Black-crowned Night-Herons. Summer and winter 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. The beak, neck, and legs are all shorter than those of a typical stork.
Black caps extend from a white line above the black beaks of adult Black-crowned Night-herons.
The lores (area in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, and their eyes are red. The back is darker than the rest of the body. Yellow is the color of their legs and feet.
The head and rear of the bird turn glossy blue-green during the breeding season, with two or three white feathers appearing on the crown. The legs and feet darken, while the lores turn black as well.
The overall color of juveniles is 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 range of Black-crowned Night-herons is enormous. Before migrating south, they breed in the United States and Canada. On the coasts, some survive 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 utilize them.
Night-feeding black-crowned night-herons may eat crayfish, fish, and even turtles or worms if they can find them.
In preparation for choosing their mates, black-crowned night-heron males build nests in bushes or trees, which are started by the males.
After that, the female will lay two to seven eggs every two days. For around twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs that have been laid. For almost three weeks, the parents will look after their children.
Fun Fact: For more than a century, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has hosted a colony of Black-crowned Night-herons during the summer.
8. Cattle Egret
From April through October, Cattle Egrets breed in South Carolina, with a few birds sighted every year. They are found in 4% of summer checklists.
Cattle Egrets use a clever technique to capture their meal….they stand on the backs of cows, catching the fleeing prey as they move and disturb the ground.
Cattle Egrets have white bodies and pale orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs. They are small, short-necked Egrets.
Their irises and cheeks are yellow, as is their skin. They have small yellow beaks and greenish-black legs. Males and femen look very similar.
Cattle Egrets gain color as the breeding season approaches and become more brilliant, notably on their legs and face.
Their light orange patches become darker during the breeding season. At the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises turn bright red, and their facial skin (lores) becomes pinkish-red.
- Bubulcus ibis
- Length: 19 – 21 in (48 – 53 cm)
- Weight: 17.98 oz (510 g)
- Wingspan: 36 – 38 in (91 – 97 cm)
Cattle Egrets may be found all year in the south of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southwestern US states, however their range is quite large across the globe.
Breeding, however, causes the creatures to migrate south, primarily in the eastern United States.
Cattle Egrets may be found in native grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice fields whenever hoofed animals are present.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic environments, such as riverbanks, ponds, and shallow marshes. While they prefer to stay on land and atop cattle, they do so. Golf courses, lawns, athletic fields, dumps, and parks are all common places to find them.
Insects, mostly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths are the main diet of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, little snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are among the animals they consume.
Cattle Egret Calls:
Cattle Egret nests are generally constructed in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in bogs, or on tiny islands. They are made of sticks and reeds and built in colonies.
They incubate up to nine eggs for approximately twenty-five days by the female. The young take approximately 45 days to fledge, become independent from their parents, and develop fully.
Fun Fact: By having binocular vision for judging distance to capture prey on land rather than correcting for light refraction when feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have adapted to foraging on land.
9. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
From March to November, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons bred in South Carolina before migrating are seen on 4% of summer checklists, and they can be seen from March to November.
The crowns of adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons are yellow, with two plumes protruding from the head. Their black bills contrast with their small stature. Their remaining heads are black, with a little white patch on the sides beneath their eyes.
As they got older, their eyes turned 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 yellow, eventually turning coral, pink, or red.
Grayish-brown with white streaks and specks, juveniles become brown all over. 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 heading south, yellow-crowned night-herons breed mostly in the southern United States. They may be found in Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America all year.
In coastal regions with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and suitable feeding sites, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons both at dawn and dusk.
Crustaceans like 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 other animals they consume. They can consume little creatures in a flash.
Crabs are frequently dismembered or stabbed through the body.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in tiny, loose colonies, which are frequently seen. Both parents construct the nests out of soft sticks and twigs, which are made from grass, leaves, or moss.
They then incubate up to eight eggs for around three weeks, which she lays up to eight times. The chicks are fed by regurgitation after they hatch. They fledge after around 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, can be carried by yellow-crowned night-herons.
10. Least Bittern
During the breeding season, from April to August, Least Bitterns are most often seen along South Carolina’s coast. Summer checklists containing them are found in 2% of all checklists.
In the reeds, you may hear Least Bitterns before you see them, since they are the smallest herons in the Americas.
Their yellow beak has a dark cap and black top, and they are brown and white in hue. They have large toes and claws, which they use to 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)
Little Bitterns are most commonly found in Europe and Africa, although they may be found in North America on rare occasions.
Least Bitterns may be found in marshes with many tall cattails and reeds, as well as dense freshwater and brackish marshlands. Search for them perched on reeds.
They’ll instantly freeze, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in tandem with the reeds when they sense danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice make up the leach Bittern’s diet. They sit on the reeds, twisting and contorting themselves in order to reach their target on the surface of the water.
The female of Least Bitterns builds well-concealed nests from cattail and marsh vegetation, which are well-concealed platforms. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty days after they lay up to seven. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: The necks of least bitterns are rather long, but they remain hunched.
11. American Bittern
South Carolina has a small population of American Bitterns, which may be seen from October to April along the coast.
In the spring of the American Bittern, you may hear these peculiar watery boom calls long before you see them, if you’re lucky. Below are some samples:
The Heron family includes the American Bittern, which is a stocky, medium-sized bird.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, they resemble the reeds they hide in, with their head angled up and eyes darting about among the reeds.
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 flying to the Gulf Coast and Mexico, American Bitterns breed in Canada and northern US states.
Marsh and wetlands with tall reeds are practically home to American Bitterns.
Look for them around the margins of lakes and ponds, amid the thick vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait quietly and passively among the reeds, waiting for their victim to come closer before dashing forward swiftly to capture them in their beaks.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait quietly and still in the reeds, hunting their prey with their bills until they get closer, when they spring forward swiftly to capture them.
American Bitterns’ nests may be discovered amid coarse vegetation on the water’s edge. Females pick a nest location and construct it using available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants.
They lay seven eggs, which are incubated for around twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks straight into their beaks when they’re born. They fledge the nest after two weeks, and it takes them six to seven weeks to become fully emerged.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
12. Reddish Egret
In South Carolina, Reddish Egrets are a near-threatened species that may be seen throughout the year along the coast.
Reddish Egrets are one of the most fascinating birds to observe, with their dark pink and grayish-blue colors and vigorous flapping in search of prey.
They come in dark and light morphs, although white morphs are uncommon, and are known as Reddish Egrets despite the fact that they are not.
The bodies, necks, and breasts of dark morph Reddish Egrets are blue-gray, with a hint of cinnamon. Pink with a black tip, their bills are interesting.
White morphs have a completely white body. Their eyes are straw yellow, and their skin (lores) is darker around their legs and feet. They both have blue-black legs and feet.
Adults may mate with either morph, and juveniles are dark or white.
- Egretta rufescens
- Length: 27 – 32 in (69 – 81 cm)
- Weight: 15.9 oz (451 g)
- Wingspan: 46 in (117 cm)
All year long,Reddish Egrets may be found along the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and throughout northern South America.
In open marine flats and beaches, you may see Reddish Egrets. Marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons are also home to them.
Reddish Egrets feed mostly on their own. They’re hoping to capture fish by crossing shallow, flooded flats. They immediately stab fish with their beaks after they’ve successfully scared them up.
Reddish Egret nests are typically found in colonies and constructed of sticks by both parents. They’re typically found on islands with nearby feeding grounds.
The female lays seven eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 25 days. Even after they’ve left the nest, they’ll care for the babies for up to nine weeks and will feed them.
Fun Fact: The male will toss his head and snap his beak during mating, puffing out and standing out on his head, neck, and back.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In South Carolina In Summer And Winter
Using checklists, you may determine which birds are most often seen in your region. During the summer and winter in South Carolina, these lists indicate which herons are most often seen on ebird checklists.
Herons in South Carolina in summer:
Great Egret 22.1%
Great Blue Heron 19.5%
Snowy Egret 14.8%
Green Heron 14.7%
Little Blue Heron 11.3%
Tricolored Heron 11.1%
Cattle Egret 4.8%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 4.5%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3.9%
Least Bittern 2.5%
Reddish Egret 0.3%
American Bittern 0.1%
Herons in South Carolina in winter:
Great Blue Heron 23.2%
Great Egret 20.2%
Snowy Egret 12.8%
Tricolored Heron 8.7%
Little Blue Heron 8.7%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 3.2%
Green Heron 0.6%
American Bittern 0.5%
Cattle Egret 0.5%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 0.1%
Reddish Egret <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%