Vermont has been home to nine of North America’s 17 species of herons. There are three more that are uncommon or unintentional. This guide will assist you distinguish and understand these long-legged birds.
Water-loving birds such as herons may be seen pecking around your pond for a quick meal, whether it’s salty, fresh or even.
Yet, many of your fish herons are protected, so if you’re having problems catching them, a net is the best option.
Herons are known for nesting in large colonies dubbed heronries, but they typically hunt on their own by remaining totally still and waiting or by barreling about.
A collection of herons is known by a slew of odd names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” and “pose” among others.
You might want to learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans that you may see in Vermont if you like seeing waterbirds.
12 Species Of Heron In Vermont
1. Great Blue Heron
During the breeding season, Great Blue Herons are mostly found in Vermont, although some may stay throughout the year in the northwest. Summer checklists submitted by birdwatchers in the state contain them at a rate of 10%.
The biggest heron native to North America, Great Blue Herons, are huge and magnificent birds.
Their face is white, with a black crest or plume that stretches from the front of their eyes to the rear of their heads. Yellow-orangish is the color of their bills.
They have grayish-blue bodies, long gray legs, and a lengthy black-and-white streaking in the front of their necks.
- 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, but they migrate south as they breed in the Mid-West and Canada.
In Florida, the Great White Heron is a white morph version of the Great Blue Heron.
Great Blue Herons may be found in a variety of wetland habitats. Fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded marshes, lake borders, and coastlines are all possible habitats.
Fish, frogs, salamanders, shrimps, crabs, dragonflies, grasshoppers, and other aquatic insects make up the majority of Great Blue Herons’ diet.
While wading or standing in water, they catch their prey. Hovering above water, diving into it, leaping feetfirst from perches, and floating on the water’s surface are among other things they can do.
Great Blue Heron colonies are situated high up in trees near to water, and their nests are found there. Twigs and sticks are used to construct the nests, which are then lined with softer material.
Great Blue Herons can expand and rebuild their nests over time, which allows them to reuse them.
After that, the female lays two to seven eggs. For approximately four weeks, both parents are responsible for incubating the eggs.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, Great Blue Herons protect their feeding area with amazing wing-stretched displays.
2. Great Egret
From April to October, Great Egrets are mostly found in northern Vermont during the breeding season. Summer checklists include them at a rate of 2%.
With males having neon green facial skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) extending from their backs to their tails, great egrets are at their best during the breeding season. Males display them off like a peacock does with its tail.
They’re called Great White Herons because they’re huge, all-white herons. Common egrets are another name for them. White with dagger-like, long, bright yellow beaks and long, black legs and feet, these huge birds are a sight to behold.
Males, females, and juvenile non-breeding birds 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 Great Egret is a bird that can be found all around the globe. Those that dwell in the southern and coastal United States stay year-round, whereas those who dwell farther inland migrate south.
The Great Egret has a global range. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay throughout the year, although those farther inland and in Canada go south.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, but they are most prevalent in freshwater marshes.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of the diet of Great Egrets. As you watch, you’ll see Great Egrets standing motionless on the water, waiting for their victim to come near and then pouncing on it with their long bills.
Great Egret colonies contain nests. To keep their nests safe from predators like raccoons, they’re generally 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 both parents care for the eggs for roughly twenty-five days.
Fun Fact: Since its vast white feathers (aigrettes) were mostly utilized to embellish ladies’ hats, the Great Egret was nearly hunted to extinction.
3. Green Heron
Vermont is home to Green Herons, which appear on 3% of summer checklists. In April, they arrive, and in October, they begin to migrate.
The glossy green-black sheen of the crowns, crests, backs, and wings of green herons attracts their name, but from a distance they appear to be hunchbacked and gloomy.
Throughout the breeding season, their bills turn black, and they are two-toned: dark on top with a yellow bottom. Their irises and legs also become orange as they age.
Chestnut or maroon are the colors of their heads, necks, and breasts. The neck is striped with a white stripe that runs down the front portion. Gray is the color of their bellies.
Browner and with a blacker head, juveniles have a higher crest.
- Butorides virescens
- Length: 18 – 22 in (46 – 56 cm)
- Weight: 9.17 oz (260 g)
- Wingspan: 25 – 26 in (64 – 66 cm)
Before flying south, Green Herons breed mostly in the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast. The coastlines of the United States, however, are closed all year.
Green Herons may be found in marshes, bogs, lakes, ponds, and other densely vegetated areas. If there are water sources nearby, they may stay in dry woods or orchards instead of coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crabs, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rodents make up the Green Heron’s diet. Instead of wading, they hunt from the shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are built high in the trees over water, but some may deposit them on the ground, hidden beneath vegetation.
Females lay two-day intervals between each of their six eggs. The final egg is deposited, and both parents begin incubation, which lasts around twenty days. When the eggs are hatched, they both care for them.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves are used by green herons to catch their prey. This is one of the few bird species that uses tools for foraging.
4. American Bittern
From April through October, American Bitterns may be found in Vermont, where they account for 2% of summer checklists.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you’ll hear their unusual watery boom calls long before they arrive. Here are some examples of them:
The Heron family of birds includes American Bitterns, who are robust, medium-sized birds.
Their brown striped and mottled patterning, as well as their capacity to remain motionless amid the reeds with their head lifted up, make them resemble the reeds they conceal in.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that change to orange during courtship.
- Botaurus lentiginosus
- Length: 23 in (58 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz (726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 – 50 in (107 – 127 cm)
Before migrating to the Gulf Coast and Mexico, American Bitterns breed in Canada and northern US states.
Shallow, freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds are where you’ll find American Bitterns nearly exclusively.
Seek them out among the coarse vegetation on the edges of lakes and ponds.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals comprise the diet of American Bitterns. They wait quietly and invisibly in the reeds, hunting their prey with baited bills until they get close enough to be captured.
The water, hidden among coarse vegetation, is home to American Bittern nests. Females select a nest location and construct it with available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants.
They put up to seven eggs, which are incubated for about twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks straight into their beaks when they are born. They fled the nest after two weeks and were fully-fledged at six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them to hide themselves, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
5. Black-crowned Night-Heron
From April to October, black-crowned night-herons may be seen in northern Vermont.
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 its cousins.
The black crowns of adult Black-crowned Night-herons extend from a white line above their black beaks.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, and their eyes are red. The underside is white, while the back is black. Yellow is the color of their legs and feet.
The black 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 become red or pink, as well as the lores turning black.
The juveniles have some streaking and spotting on their dull grayish-brown overall.
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Length: 25 – 28 in (64 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 38.8 oz (1100 g)
- Wingspan: 44 – 45 in (112 – 114 cm)
The world of Black-crowned Night-herons is enormous. They breed in the United States and Canada before heading south. Along the beaches, some may be found all year.
In wetland environments such as shallow freshwater or brackish rivers, you may spot Black-crowned Night-herons. Artificial habitats such as reservoirs, canals, and fish ponds are also known to include them.
Night-feeders such as crayfish and fish, as well as turtles and worms, are Black-crowned Night-herons.
The males start building nests for selecting their partners, which are commonly placed in bushes or trees, in preparation for choosing.
After that, the female will deposit up to seven eggs every two days. For about twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs after they are placed. For roughly three weeks, the parents will be in charge of their infant.
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.
6. Least Bittern
While western Vermont is home to the Least Bitterns, they can be found breeding from mid-April to late September.
The smallest herons in the Americas, least bitterns are difficult to detect in the reeds. You may hear them before you see them.
They have a black head and upper to their yellow beak, and they are brown and white in color. They grip the reeds with their long toes and claws.
The backs and crowns of adult females and juvenile males are comparable, although they are lighter.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
Bitterns normally range across Europe and Africa, but they may also visit North America on occasion.
Least Bitterns may be found in marshlands with several tall cattails and reeds, as well as dense freshwater. When they’re perched on reeds, look for them.
They will instantly stiffen up, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in time with the reeds when they feel threatened.
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, twisting and contorting their bodies in order to reach their victim floating on the surface of the water.
The female of the Least Bitterns builds well-concealed nests made of cattails and marsh vegetation. Both parents incubate her eggs for roughly twenty days after she lays up to seven. After that, they regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: Long necks and a hunchbacked stance are common characteristics of Least Bitterns.
6. Least Bittern
During the breeding season, from mid-April to September, least bitterns are seen in western Vermont, although they are not very common.
In the Americas, Least Bitterns are the tiniest herons, and they’re rather difficult to locate in the reeds.
They have a black cap and black top to their yellow beak, and they range in hue from brown to white. Their toes and claws are lengthy, and they use them to grip the reeds.
In terms of backs and crowns, female and juvenile animals are comparable to males.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
The Little Bitterns are found across Europe and Africa, but they will occasionally visit North America.
Dense freshwater and brackish marshlands with many tall cattails and reeds are ideal habitats for Least Bitterns. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They’ll immediately stop moving, raise their bills to the sky, and sway in rhythm with the reeds when they detect danger.
Little fish, frogs, tadpoles, salamanders, slugs, dragonflies, aquatic bugs, and occasionally mice make up the diet of Least Bitterns. They position themselves on the reeds, sometimes acrobatically twisting their bodies to reach their objective on the water’s surface.
The female of the Least Bitterns creates well-concealed nests out of cattails and marsh vegetation. Both parents incubate her eggs for around twenty days after she lays them up to seven. They then regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: Least Bitterns have a hunchbacked stance and long necks.
7. Cattle Egret
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets are frequently seen in northwestern Vermont, but they are not particularly common.
Cattle Egrets have an ingenious technique of catching their meal…they stand on the backs of cattle, so as the cattle shift and shake the ground, they catch the frightened prey.
White bodies and pale orange-brown patches on the heads, necks, and backs distinguish Cattle Egrets, little short-necked egrets.
Their irises and cheeks are yellow. Their bills are small, and their legs are greenish-black. Males and females have a lot in common.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets become brighter, particularly on their legs and face. They change color throughout the year.
Their light orange patches darken during breeding season. At the peak of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises turn bright red, and their face (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 around the globe, although they are most abundant in the south of Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southwestern US states.
Those that breed farther north, primarily in the eastern United States, move south after breeding.
Cattle Egrets may be seen in open grasslands, grazing land, agricultural fields, and rice fields wherever there are hoofed animals.
They will 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, athletic fields, dumps, and parks are among places where they may be found.
Insects, mostly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths are the main foods of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, tiny snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are also among the foods they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are generally constructed in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on tiny islands and are composed of sticks and reeds.
Females lay up to nine eggs, which take around twenty-five days to incubate. Young birds take around 45 days to fledge, become fully independent of their parents, and reach maturity.
Fun Fact: Instead of correcting for light refraction while feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to forage on land by having binocular vision to judge distance.
8. Little Blue Heron
While migration may bring some Little Blue Herons to the state, they are not common in Vermont.
Little Blue Herons are actually not that tiny. With long, stretched bodies, they fall between the medium and large categories. Dangling feathers cover their nape, giving them a purple tint to their heads and necks.
During the breeding season, their eyes may change from pale yellow to gray-green. 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. Long and black to gray-green in color, their legs are long.
For the first year of their life, juvenile Little Blue Herons are completely white before becoming a combination of dark gray, blue, and white.
- 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 have a population of little blue herons that breed before moving south, while the Gulf Coast and Mexico have populations that stay throughout the year.
Little Blue Herons may be seen around water, both in marshes, bogs, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, and fish hatcheries.
Little Blue Herons may be found near water in bogs, marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, fish hatcheries, or flooded fields.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more elegant manner. They just 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 Little Blue Herons’ diet. Adults forage alone, but juveniles prefer to mix with other juvenile groups.
Little Blue Heron nests are built out of sticks and, like other heron species, are found in groups. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. For up to twenty-four days, both parents share in the incubation process.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ presence among Snowy Egrets allows them to capture additional fish and gain protection from predators, due to their white coloring.
9. Snowy Egret
Snowy Egrets have been seen in Vermont during the breeding season, despite the fact that they are not often seen here.
Snowy Egrets are tiny all-white herons that go by the name “Snowy Egrets.” They have long, black bills; long, black legs; and bright yellow feet. Their irises are yellow. They have skin around their eyes.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courting, their lores and cheeks become reddish-pink, while their toes become orange-red.
Interestingly, during aggressive encounters, certain regions of their bodies become bright red.
Adults and juveniles have head plumes, however the juveniles do not. Their bills and legs are also lighter in color, and their lores and legs 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 of the United States. Throughout Mexico, Central, and South America, they live all year.
Marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries are all good places to look for Snowy Egrets. They choose swampland with safeguard trees and shrubs for breeding.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They might also distress the water to bring their prey to the surface so that it would be easier for them to capture. They might simply stand still and wait for prey to approach them.
Males pick the nests of Snowy Egrets. They choose a spot and put on a full display to attract prospective mates. The males continue to deliver sticks, sedges, or reeds to the females until they marry.
Nests are generally found on the ground, hidden in shrubs. The female lays two to six eggs, and both parents incubate them alternately. The average incubation period is twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their beautiful white head feathers, snowy egrets were nearly wiped out by hunters until they were reintroduced.
10. Tricolored Heron
In Vermont, Tricolored Herons are an uncommon and illegal species. In 2017, they were last seen near Bomoseen.
The white belly and neck stripe separates Tricolored Herons from other herons.
Adults who are not breeding have purple, blue, and white feathers in their mix. Yellowish or greyish in color, with a black tip, their bills are yellowish or greyish. They have yellow or olive green legs and feet.
The rear of the heads of breeding adults is likewise covered with thin, white feathers, and the base of their beaks turns blue. Their necks and backs have also become more feathery. Their legs, too, turn crimson in color.
Particularly around 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 who breed further inland along the Atlantic Coast move south.
Freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps are all home to Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are fussy about the food they eat, and they are lone feeders. Other wading birds that want to eat little fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects will be chased away from their area by them.
Stalking, chasing, squatting, and waiting to pounce are all behaviors you can expect from them. Before striking, they squat low in the water, with their bellies and necks pressed against the surface.
Tricolored Heron nests are made of sticks and are built in groups in trees and shrubs. The female deposits three to five eggs, and both parents participate in the incubation, which takes three weeks before the eggs hatch. The young are also fed by them both.
Fun Fact: The only dark-colored heron with a white belly, the Tricolored Heron was previously known as the Louisiana Heron.
11. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In Vermont, the yellow-crowned night heron is an accidental species. They were last seen in the state in 2015 near Bomoseen State Park, and they are exceedingly uncommon.
Yellow crowns with two plumes protruding from their heads characterize adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons. Their bills are large and black in color. The sides of their heads are white, except for a little white patch below their eyes.
As they grew up, their eyes changed from yellow to orange to red.
Their wings have a scaled pattern and their bodies are gray-blue. During breeding season, their legs become coral, pink, or red and grow to be lengthy and yellow.
Grayish-brown juveniles have white streaks and spots over their whole bodies. It takes three years for them to reach adulthood.
- Nyctanassa violacea
- Length: 22 – 28 in (56 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz ( 726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 0 44 in (107 – 112 cm)
Before moving south, yellow-crowned night-herons breed mostly in the southeast. Throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they stay throughout the year.
In coastal areas with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and solid edges on which to feed, you may observe Yellow-crowned Night-herons at daybreak and dusk.
Crustaceans, such as crabs and crayfish, make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-herons’ diets. Fish, inanimals, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rats, and birds are among the animals they consume. Little prey can be devoured instantly by them.
Crabs are often dismembered or stabbed in the body.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in tiny, loose colonies, which are common. Both parents construct the nests from softened sticks and twigs, which are gathered from grass, leaves, or moss.
After that, she lays up to eight eggs and cohabitates with them for three weeks. The chicks are fed by regurgitation when they hatch. They can fly on their own after about a month of fledging.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can affect horses and people, is carried by the yellow-crowned night-heron.
12. Little Egret
In Vermont, Little Egrets are an accidental species, and they have only been observed near South Royalton in 2021, according to records.
The entire body of Little Egrets is white. Long, slender necks, black beaks, yellow eyes, yellow facial skin (lores), black legs, and yellow toes are all features of this species.
The backs of Little Egrets’ heads, lower throats, and backs are covered in sparse feathers during the breeding season. During the height of courtship, their face skin becomes crimson, and their foot turn crimson or red.
Dark morphs with a bluish-gray tone rather than white are also available.
Immature birds have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet, and they resemble 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 casual visitors to the United States and Canada, with a typical range of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Little Egrets may be seen in lakeshores, riverbanks, ponds, lagoons, marshes, and canals around wetland areas like these, although they may also hunt in fish ponds.
Little Egrets can either stand still and wait for fish to arrive or disturb the water to scare them away as their primary source of food.
Little Egret nests are frequently fashioned of platform sticks and placed high in the trees or shrubs, in reed beds or mangroves. Males are responsible for finding and carrying building materials, while females are responsible for the construction.
The female lays six to eight eggs, which are incubated by both parents for around three weeks. During roughly two weeks, both parents are responsible for their infants. After six weeks of fledging, they fledge.
Fun Fact: Because of the craze for feathers for fashionable headdresses at the period, Little Egrets became extinct in Ireland and Great Britain.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Vermont In Summer And Winter
Using checklists, you may easily determine which birds are most often seen in your region. During the summer and winter of Vermont, these tables depict which herons are most often seen on ebird checklists.
Herons in Vermont in summer:
Great Blue Heron 10.2%
Green Heron 3.4%
American Bittern 2.5%
Great Egret 2.1%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.8%
Least Bittern 0.3%
Cattle Egret 0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Snowy Egret <0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Little Egret <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Herons in Vermont in winter:
Great Blue Heron 0.6%
American Bittern <0.1%
Great Egret <0.1%