In Virginia, 11 of the 17 species of herons that live throughout North America have been discovered. There are three more that are uncommon or happenstance. This guide will assist you identify and learn more about these long-legged birds.
Herons, which prefer saltwater, freshwater, and may even peer into your backyard pond for a quick bite, are water-loving birds.
However, many of your fish herons are protected and should be caught with a net if you’re having trouble catching them.
Herons prefer to hunt alone by standing absolutely still and waiting or by dashing around to stir up the meal, thus they often nest in huge colonies known as heronries.
A collection of herons is known by a wide range of names, including “rookery,” “battery,” “hedge,” “siege,” and the like.
You might learn more about the ducks, swans, or pelicans you may see here if you enjoy seeing waterbirds in Virginia.
14 Species Of Heron In Virginia
1. Great Blue Heron
In Virginia, Great Blue Herons can be seen all year. They are very common. They are seen on 18% of summer and 16% of winter bird watcher checklists for the state, according to records.
The Great Blue Heron is the biggest heron native to North America and is a huge, magnificent 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 orangish bills are yellow in color.
Their bodies are grayish-blue, their necks are long and gray, and their legs are likewise long. They have black and white streaking in the front.
- Ardea herodias
- Length: 46 – 52 in (117 – 132 cm)
- Weight: 128 oz (3628 g)
- Wingspan: 77 – 82 in (196 – 208 cm)
Most US states have Great Blue Herons that stay throughout the year, but those that breed in the Mid-West and Canada migrate south.
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 edges, and shorelines 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.
By wading or standing in water, they can capture their prey. Hovering over water, diving into it, leaping feet-first from perches, and floating on the water’s surface are some of their other abilities.
Great Blue Heron colonies, located high in the trees near water, are home to their nests. Twigs and sticks are used to build the nests, which are lined with softer material.
Great Blue Herons may rebuild and expand their nests over time, thus they may reuse them.
After that, the female lays two to seven eggs. For around four weeks, both parents incubate the eggs.
Fun Fact: With their heads thrown back, Great Blue Herons defend their feeding area with spectacular wing-outstretched displays.
2. Great Egret
Great Egrets may be seen in Virginia throughout the year, but they are most common from July to October. During the summer, they are seen in 8% of checklists, 2% of winter checklists, and up to 18% during the autumn migration.
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, much like a peacock flaring out its tail. Great Egrets are at their best throughout the breeding season.
They’re often referred to as Great White Herons because they’re huge, all-white herons. Common Egrets are another name for them. The majestic birds have dagger-like long, bright yellow beaks, long black legs and feet. They are white in color.
Females, juveniles, and non-breeding males 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 worldwide range of Great Egrets is vast. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay here all year, but those in Canada migrate south.
Great Egrets may be found in both freshwater and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds.
Fish, frogs, tiny mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of Great Egrets’ diet. You’ll witness Great Egrets standing still on the water, waiting for their prey to approach and scouting it, before striking and spearting it with their lengthy bills.
Great Egret colonies are home to nests. To protect the nests from 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 up to six eggs, with both parents caring for them for around twenty-five days.
Fun Fact: Because of its long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was nearly wiped off the face of the Earth.
3. Green Heron
During the breeding season, from April to October, Green Herons are most commonly seen in Virginia, accounting for 9% of summer checklists.
The glossy green-black coloring of their crowns, crests, backs, and wings attracts the name Green Herons, but from a distance, they appear bent and gloomy. You must get much closer to see this.
These turn black in the breeding season, with two-toned bills that are dark on top and yellow at the bottom. Their irises and legs likewise change color from yellow to orange.
Chestnut or maroon coloration covers their heads, necks, and breasts. The neck has a white down the center stripe that runs the length of it. They have a gray belly.
Browner, with black-rimmed caps and a cresty head, juveniles are more
- 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 primarily in the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast. Those, however, will last throughout the year along the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and Mexico.
Green Herons may be found in damp environments with deep vegetation, such as swamps, marshes, lakes, and ponds. They may stay in dry woods or orchards if there are water sources nearby, however they prefer coastal and inland wetlands.
Little fish, insects, spiders, crustaceans, snails, amphibians, reptiles, and rats make up the Green Heron’s diet. Rather than wading, they usually hunt from shore by perched on sticks over the water.
Green Heron nests are usually built high in the trees over water, although they may also be left on the ground, disguised by vegetation.
Females lay two-day intervals of six eggs. The last egg is deposited and the parents begin incubating for around twenty days. When the young are hatched, they both feed them.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves, are used by green herons for foraging. (Davis and Kushlan 1994) Green Herons are one of the few bird species that do so.
4. Snowy Egret
From April through November, snowy egrets breed in Virginia, primarily along the shore. On 2% of summer checklists, they are documented.
Snowy Egrets are little all-white herons that go by the name snowy Egrets. They have long, black bills; long, black legs; and bright yellow feet with yellow irises.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courtship, their lores or face skin become reddish-pink, and their toes become orange-red.
Surprisingly, during aggressive encounters, these regions of their bodies become bright red.
Adults and juveniles have head plumes, but not juveniles. Lores and legs are more greenish-yellow, and the colors on their bills and legs are lighter.
- 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 much of the United States. Throughout Mexico, Central, and South America, they stay throughout the year.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They may sit still and wait for prey to approach them or may stir the water around them in order for it to be simpler for them to capture.
Males choose Snowy Egret nests. They choose a spot and go completely visible in order to attract mates. The males continue to provide sticks, sedges, or reeds for the female as she creates the nest when they pair up.
Nesting sites are commonly found in trees or shrubs on the ground. Both parents then incubate their eggs, which the female lays two to six. The incubation period is normally twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their lovely white head feathers, which were used as a beautiful decoration or accessory to women’s hats, snowy egrets were almost hunted to extinction.
5. Little Blue Heron
From April through May and July through November, Little Blue Herons may be seen in Virginia on their way south. At this time, up to 3% of checklists will contain them.
Little Blue Herons may seem to be small, but they are actually quite big. They have long, extended bodies that 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 can become gray-green. Their two-toned bills are dagger-like and feature black tips. They have a long, dagger-like appearance. Slate-blue is the color of their skin. Long and dark to green in color, their legs are long.
Before becoming a mix of dark gray, blue, and white, juvenile Little Blue Herons are completely 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)
Eastern US states are home to Little Blue Herons, but those in the Gulf Coast and Mexico continue to migrate south throughout the year.
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 the Little Blue Heron’s diet. Adults forage solo, whereas juveniles prefer to dwell in mixed groups.
Little Blue Heron nests are constructed of sticks and are generally found in groups with other herons. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. For up to twenty-four days, both parents share in the incubation.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons’ conspicuousness among Snowy Egrets enables them to catch more fish and gain added protection from predators, hence they are frequently seen.
6. Tricolored Heron
During the breeding season, tricolored herons may be seen along Virginia’s shore, but between May and July and mid-October, their numbers rise. Throughout the spring, they appear in 1% of checklists, and during the fall, they appear in 3%.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron distinguish it from other herons.
Adults with non-breeding plumage have blue-gray, purple, and white feathers in their mix. Their black-tipped bills are yellowish or greyish. Their legs and feet are olive green in color.
Adults’ bill becomes blue at the base, and they have thin, white feathers extending from the back of their heads. Fine feathers cover their necks and backs as well. Their legs, too, turn reddish in 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 who breed farther north migrate south as they move along the Atlantic Coast.
Freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps are all habitats for Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons defend their feeding locations and are solitary feeders. Other wading birds will be chased away from their area, while they love to consume little fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects.
They’re likely to be stalking, pursuing, standing, and waiting for their victim. Before striking, they crouch low in the water with their bellies and necks submerged in the surface.
Tricolored Heron nests are built in colonies on trees and shrubs and are made of sticks. The female lays three to five eggs, and both parents assist in the incubation process, which takes three weeks before the eggs hatch. The young are also fed by them both.
Tricolored Heron nests are built in colonies of trees and shrubs, made out of sticks. After that, the female lays three to five eggs, and both parents spend three weeks caring for them before they hatch. In addition, they both nurse the infant.
Fun Fact: The Louisiana heron was the name given to the Tricolored Heron, which has a white belly and is the only dark-colored heron.
7. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
From April through October, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are seen in Virginia, accounting for 1% of summer checklists. Roanoke and Norfolk have been overrun with them.
Yellow crowns with two plumes protruding from their heads distinguish adult Yellow-crowned Night Herons. Their large bills are black in color. Their remaining skulls are black, with a little white patch on the sides below their eyes.
As they grew up, their eyes became red, first yellow, then orange, and finally red.
Their wings have a scaled design and their bodies are gray-blue. During the breeding season, their legs will become coral, pink, or red. They are quite long and yellow.
Juveniles are grayish-brown all over with white streaks and dots when they hatch. It takes three years for them to grow up.
- 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 southern United States. Throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they survive all year.
In coastal regions with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and good places to feed, you may see Yellow-crowned Night-herons at daybreak and dusk.
Crustaceans like crabs and crayfish make up the majority of Yellow-crowned Night-heron’s diet. Fish, bugs, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rats, and birds are among the other foods they consume. Little prey may be devoured in an instant by them.
Crabs are frequently dismembered or stabbed in their bodies.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water, and their nests are typically found in tiny loose colonies. Both parents construct the nests out of dried grass, leaves, or moss-covered sticks and twigs.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in small, loose colonies. Both parents construct the nests out of soft sticks and twigs, which are made from grass, leaves, or moss.
The female then deposits eight eggs, which they pair together for three weeks while incubating them. The chicks are fed by regurgitation after they hatch. They fledge in around a month and are able to fly on their own after fifty days.
Fun Fact: The eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus, which can kill horses and humans, is carried by yellow-crowned night-herons.
8. Black-crowned Night-Heron
During migration along the coast, Black-crowned Night-Herons breed in Virginia around Harrisonburg.
The typical description of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Herons. It has a shorter beak, neck, and legs than other species.
Black caps that extend from a white line above their black bills are seen on adult Black-crowned Night-herons.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, while their eyes are red. They’re lighter on the rear and have a white undercoat. It has yellow legs and feet.
The black head and back become a 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, and the lores become black.
The overall color of juveniles is dull grayish-brown with streaks and spots.
- 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 extends across the globe. Before moving south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Along the coasts, some may be found all year.
Wetland environments 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 them.
Black-crowned Night-herons eat whatever they can find at night, such as crayfish, fish, and even turtles or worms. They are night-feeders.
Male Black-crowned Night-herons begin building nests in bushes and trees in preparation for selecting their mates.
The female will deposit up to seven eggs each two days. For around twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs after they are placed. For roughly three weeks, the parents will look after their infant.
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.
9. Cattle Egret
In Virginia, Cattle Egrets are uncommon, however from April to mid-October, they may be seen near Virginia Beach.
Cattle Egrets utilize a ingenious strategy to obtain their meal: they perch on the backs of cattle and grab the startled prey when the cattle shift and displace the earth.
Cattle Egrets have white bodies and faint orange-brown patches on their heads, necks, and backs. They are tiny, short-necked birds.
Their irises and face are yellow, as is their skin. Their bills are small, and their legs are greenish-black. Males and femas appear to be extremely similar.
Cattle Egret change color throughout the year and they become brighter, especially on legs and face during the breeding season.
Their light orange patches darken during the breeding season. At the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises turn bright red, 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)
Cattle Egrets may be found all over the globe, but those in Mexico, the Gulf Coast, and southern US states stay year-round.
After breeding, though, those who breed further north, primarily in the eastern United States, move south.
Cattle Egrets may be seen in grasslands, pastures, agricultural fields, and rice fields wherever there is hoofed livestock.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic environments, such as riverbanks, ponds, and shallow marshes, although they prefer to remain on land and atop cattle. Golf courses, lawns, sports fields, dumps, and parks are among the other places you can see them.
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 animals they consume.
Cattle Egret nests are usually built in woodlands near lakes or rivers, in marshes, or on small islands and are made of sticks and reeds.
The females lay up to nine eggs, which they incubate for around twenty-five days. The young take roughly 45 days to fledge and become completely independent of their parents.
Fun Fact: Instead of correcting for light refraction when feeding in water, the Cattle Egret’s eyes have evolved to enable it to forage on land by having binocular vision.
10. American Bittern
American Bitterns may be seen along the coast of Virginia during migration, particularly in April, though they are not common here.
In the spring of the American Bittern, you may hear their unique watery boom calls long before you see them. Below are a few of them that you may check out.
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are large, solitary birds.
Because of their brown striped and speckled patterning, they resemble the reeds they hide in, and their head angled up ability to stay still amid the reeds.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that turn orange during courting.
- Botaurus lentiginosus
- Length: 23 in (58 cm)
- Weight: 25.6 oz (726 g)
- Wingspan: 42 – 50 in (107 – 127 cm)
Before moving to the Gulf Coast and Mexico, American Bitterns bred in Canada and northern US states.
Shallow freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds are the only places where you can find American Bitterns.
To discover them, look for them near the edges of lakes and ponds amid the rough vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait for their prey to come closer and then dart forward quickly to capture them in their bills, stealthily foraging among the reeds.
On the water, among coarse vegetation, you may find nests of American Bitterns. Females select a location on which to build their nest and construct it using available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other plants.
They lay seven eggs, which are incubated for around twenty-six days. Females feed the chicks directly into their beaks when they are hatched. They leave the nest after two weeks and are completely developed in six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
11. Least Bittern
In Virginia, you might see Least Bitterns during the summer and migration, although they are not often seen.
The tiniest herons in the Americas, least bitterns are extremely difficult to locate in the reeds, but you may hear them first.
With a dark cap and dark top to their yellow bill, they are shades of brown and white. The reeds are gripped with their long toes and claws.
Females and juveniles have lighter backs and crowns than males.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
Little Bitterns typically range across Europe and Africa, although they may make an excursion into North America.
Least Bitterns may be found in thick freshwater and brackish marshlands, which are overrun with 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 occasionally mice make up the diet of Least Bitterns. They lie on the reeds, sometimes twisting themselves into uncomfortable positions in order to reach their victim.
The female of the Least Bittern creates well-concealed platforms made out of cattails and marsh plants. Parents care for the eggs for around twenty days, when she lays up to seven. The next step is for them to regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: The neck of the Least Bitterns is long, but it usually hunchbacks.
12. Little Egret
In Virginia, Little Egrets are an uncommon species that has been declared as an accidental species. In 2019, they were last seen near Portsmouth.
The majority of little egrets have pure white bodies. Long black bills, yellow eyes, yellow facial skin (lores), long black legs, and yellow feet characterize these species.
Little Egrets have thin feathers on the tops of their heads, neck, and backs during the breeding season. At the height of their courtship, facial skin turns red and their feet turn pink or red.
Dark morphs with a blue-gray color instead of white are also available.
Juveniles have greenish-black legs and duller yellow feet, which 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 casual visitors to the United States and Canada, with a normal range that includes Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Little Egrets may be found in lakeshores, riverbanks, ponds, lagoons, marshes, and canals throughout the wetlands where they hunt for fish.
Little Egrets either rest still while waiting for fish to arrive or by disturbing the water to scare them away as their primary source of food.
Little Egret nests are generally constructed high up in trees or shrubs, in reed beds, or mangroves and are made of platform sticks. Females perform the construction, while males discover and carry the materials for it.
For around three weeks, both parents incubate the female’s up to six eggs. For approximately two weeks, both parents look after their infants. After six weeks, they fledge.
Fun Fact: Because of the popularity of feathers for fashion at the period, Little Egrets became extinct in Ireland and Great Britain due to overhunting.
13. Reddish Egret
In Virginia, Reddish Egrets are considered a near-threatened species, and they have not been seen since 2008 in Portsmouth, according to records.
Reddish Egrets have some of the most interesting birds to see, with their dark pink and grayish-blue hues and frantic charging in pursuit of fish.
Reddish Egrets come in dark and light morphs, with white morphs being uncommon, despite their name.
The bodies, necks, and breasts of dark morph Reddish Egrets are blue-gray in color. Pink with a black tip, their bills are
The bodies of white specimens are totally devoid of color. Their eyes are brown, and their skin (lores) around their legs and feet is blue-black. They both have straw yellow eyes.
Adults may mate with either form of juveniles, who 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, as well as northern South America, are home to Reddish Egrets all year.
In open marine flats and shores, you may see Reddish Egrets. Marshes, shallow bays, and lagoons are also home to them.
Reddish Egrets are usually seen alone foraging and feeding. They’re hoping to capture fish as they cross shallow, flooded flats. They immediately stab fish with their beaks after they’ve scared them up.
Reddish Egret nests are frequently found in colonies, with both parents constructing a platform of sticks. They’re frequently found on islands with nearby feeding grounds.
Both parents incubate the eggs, which are laid by the female and take twenty-five days to hatch. When they leave the nest, they both care for the young and will feed them for up to nine weeks.
Fun Fact: The male will perform a head toss display and beak snapping during mating, when his feathers puff out and stand out on his head, neck, and back.
14. Gray Heron
In Virginia, the Grey Heron is an uncommon sight. They’ve only been seen around Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Edward S., and they’re extremely rare in the state. In 2020, there will be a Brinkley Nature Preserve.
Due to its grayish feathers, the Gray Heron is a huge wading bird with ash-grey on top and grayish-white on the bottom.
Its neck is white with long feathers down its chest, while its head is black and white. It has a lengthy pinkish-yellow beak. It has a long, brown leg.
Female are generally smaller than males, but both sexes appear similar. The heads of juveniles are dull grey, with black highlights on the crowns.
Great Blue Herons are bigger and have brown flanks and thighs, whereas Gray Herons look a lot like them, but they are smaller.
- Ardea cinerea
- Length: 33 – 40 in (84 – 102 cm)
- Weight: 35.2 – 73.6 oz (997 – 2085 g)
- Wingspan: 61 – 77 in (155 – 195 cm)
The typical habitat of the Gray Heron is Europe, Asia, and Africa, although they have become more frequent vagrants in North America.
Lakes, reservoirs, tiny and big rivers, marshes, ponds, flooded places, coastal lagoons, estuaries, and the seashore are all good places to look for Gray Herons with water and fish.
Because of their enormous size and ability to capture prey in the water quickly, gray herons are considered apex predators.
They can be quite still when spying on their prey, and with their long, muscular bills, they hit accurately and deftly when they’re close enough.
On land, the beak deals a fatal blow to larger prey and forces them to submit.
Before being eaten whole, they suffocate or drown their victims, or break their necks (sounds horrible!).
Gray Heron nests are frequently found in trees near to water and high up. Because they reuse their nests year after year, adding more material to them tends to increase in size.
The nesting material is discovered by males, while the nests are built by females. The females lay three to five eggs, which the parents alternate incubating for around twenty-six days. Parents regurgitate fish to feed their babies after they hatch.
Fun Fact: Gray Herons fly with their heads pulled back and their long necks retracted into an S-shape, making it easy to differentiate them in flight. Herons with their heads outstretched fly.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Virginia In Summer And Winter
bird checklist for your state can be a valuable tool for identifying which birds are common. In Virginia’s checklists throughout the summer and winter, these lists show which herons are most commonly observed.
Herons in Virginia in summer:
Great Blue Heron 18.0%
Green Heron 9.1%
Great Egret 8.1%
Snowy Egret 2.7%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1.6%
Little Blue Heron 1.5%
Tricolored Heron 1.3%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.6%
Cattle Egret 0.6%
Least Bittern 0.3%
American Bittern 0.1%
Little Egret <0.1%
Reddish Egret <0.1%
Herons in Virginia in winter:
Great Blue Heron 16.9%
Great Egret 2.7%
Snowy Egret 0.4%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 0.4%
Tricolored Heron 0.3%
American Bittern 0.1%
Little Blue Heron 0.1%
Green Heron <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%