Wisconsin has been home to seven of North America’s 17 species of herons. There are four more that are uncommon or unintentional. This guide will teach you about and identify these long-legged birds.
Herons, which like to eat near water, can be found in saltwater, freshwater, and even at your own pond for a quick snack.
Yet, several of your fish herons are protected, so a net is your best option if you’re having trouble catching them.
Herons prefer to hunt alone by remaining completely still and waiting or dashing around to stimulate the prey, but they frequently nest in huge colonies called heronries.
A collection of herons is known as a “rookery,” and there are several other names for this group, such as “battery,” “hedge,” and even the term “siege.
11 Species Of Heron In Wisconsin
1. Great Blue Heron
During the breeding season, Great Blue Herons are abundant in Wisconsin, but they may be found all year in the state’s southeast. They were spotted in 13% of the state’s bird watcher checklists this summer.
The biggest heron native to North America is the Great Blue Heron, which is a huge, magnificent bird.
The front of their eyes to the rear of their heads is covered with a white face with a black plume or crest. Yellow-orangish bills adorn their heads.
They have grayish-blue bodies with long gray legs and a long gray neck with black and white streaking in the front.
- Ardea herodias
- Length: 46 – 52 in (117 – 132 cm)
- Weight: 128 oz (3628 g)
- Wingspan: 77 – 82 in (196 – 208 cm)
Most US states have Great Blue Herons throughout the year, although those that breed in the Mid-West and Canada migrate south.
In Florida, the Great Blue Heron is divided into two subspecies: the Great White Heron.
In various wetland habitats, you may see Great Blue Herons. 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 invertebrates make up the majority of Great Blue Herons’ diets.
While wading or standing in water, they are able to capture their prey. Hovering over water, diving into it, jumping feet-first from perches, and floating on the water’s surface are all examples of hydrofoil locomotion.
Great Blue Heron colonies, located high in the trees near water, are home to their nests. Twigs and sticks are used to construct the nests, which are then lined with softer material.
Great Blue Herons may maintain and expand their nests over time, thus growing in size as they reuse them.
The female will lay two to seven eggs after that. For around four weeks, both parents sit on the eggs and incubate them.
Fun Fact: Great Blue Herons use sweeping wing-expanded displays to protect their feeding grounds, with their heads thrown back.
2. Green Heron
From April through October, Green Herons breed in Wisconsin and are visible. Summer checklists have a 6% chance of containing them.
The glossy green-black coloring of their crowns, crests, backs, and wings gives Green Herons their name, but from a distance they appear bent and gloomy. You must come closer to appreciate this.
These turn black in the breeding season and have two-toned, dark on top with a yellow bottom. Their iris and legs, too, change color from yellow to orange.
Chestnut or maroon are the colors of their heads, necks, and breasts. The neck of these animals is striped with a white stripe that runs down the length. Gray is the color of their bellies.
Browner in color, with black hats and a crested head, juveniles are
- 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 breed primarily in the eastern United States and the Pacific Coast. The Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and Mexico, on the other hand, are permanent.
Green Herons may be found in bogs, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other damp environments with dense vegetation. They may stay in dry woods 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 diet of Green Herons. They prefer to perch on sticks over the water rather than wade when hunting from shore.
Green Heron nests are typically built in the treetops over water, although they may also be placed on the ground, disguised by shrubs.
Females lay two eggs every two days in a 2-day pattern. Both parents begin incubating after the final egg is deposited, which takes around twenty days. When their eggs hatch, they feed their young.
Fun Facts: Bait, such as bread, feathers, twigs, and leaves are used by green herons to catch their prey, which is one of the few bird species that do so.
3. Great Egret
Great Egrets are present in 4% of summer checklists and spend the breeding season in Wisconsin. They arrive in March and depart in November, when they begin to migrate.
Males have neon green facial skin and long, wispy feathers (aigrettes) that extend from their backs to their tails during breeding season, and great egrets are at their best when they’re courting.
These are big, all-white herons that are sometimes referred to as Great White Herons. Common egrets are another name for them. White with dagger-like, long, brilliant yellow beaks, lengthy black legs and feet, these enormous birds are imposing.
Males, females, and juveniles of both sexes have the same appearance.
- Ardea alba
- Length: 37 – 41 in (94 – 104cm)
- Weight: 59.96 oz (1699 g)
- Wingspan: 54 – 55 in (137 – 140 cm)
The range of Great Egrets is global. Those in the southern and coastal United States stay throughout the year, while those farther inland migrate south during the winter.
Great Egrets may be found in both fresh and saltwater marshes, as well as fish ponds, but may also be found.
Fish, frogs, small mammals, crustaceans, and insects make up the majority of the diet of Great Egrets. When you’re on the water, you may observe Great Egrets sitting quietly until their victim is spotted, when they lunge and stab it with their long bills.
Great Egret colonies are home to their nests. To protect the nests from predators like raccoons, they are usually placed high up in trees, preferably on islands.
Marsh plant sticks, twigs, and stems are used to make them. Both parents incubate the eggs for around twenty-five days, which they lay up to six.
Fun Fact: Because of their long white feathers (aigrettes), the Great Egret was nearly hunted to extinction.
4. Black-crowned Night-Heron
During the breeding season, from mid-March to November, black-crowned night herons may be found in eastern Wisconsin. These are seen in less than 1% of summer checklists.
The conventional definition of the heron family does not apply to Black-crowned Night-Herons, or simply Night Heron. The bill, neck, and legs are all shorter than those of a quail.
Black caps cover the heads of adult Black-crowned Night-herons, which are bordered by a white line above their black bills.
The lores (in front of the eye, towards the beak) are green-blue, while their eyes are red. Beneathneath, they’re white, while on the back, they’re black. Yellow is their leg and foot coloration.
The black head and back become a glossy blue-green color 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.
Juvies are streaked and speckled and have a drab grayish-brown coloration.
- Nycticorax nycticorax
- Length: 25 – 28 in (64 – 71 cm)
- Weight: 38.8 oz (1100 g)
- Wingspan: 44 – 45 in (112 – 114 cm)
The worldwide range of Black-crowned Night-herons is enormous. Before heading south, they breed in the United States and Canada. Along the coasts, some of them survive 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 utilized to house them.
Night-feeders such as crayfish and fish, as well as turtles and worms, are black-crowned night-herons.
Males build nests in bushes or trees in preparation for choosing their mates, and Black-crowned Night-herons nests are usually built by the males.
The female will lay up to seven eggs over the course of two days. For about twenty-four days, both parents begin to incubate the eggs after they are deposited. For about three weeks, the parents will look after their baby.
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. American Bittern
Throughout the breeding season, American Bitterns are mainly seen in northern Wisconsin, although they may be seen migrating south as well. From April through mid-November, these are seen on 1% of summer checklists.
In the spring of the American Bittern, if you’re lucky, you’ll hear strange watery boom calls long before you can see them. Below you’ll find some samples.
The Heron family includes American Bitterns, which are large, solitary birds.
Because of their brown striped and mottled patterning, as well as their ability to remain still amid the reeds with their head raised, they appear like the reeds they hide in.
They have short legs and yellow eyes that turn orange during mating.
- 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.
In shallow, freshwater marshes and wetlands with tall reeds, you may find American Bitterns nearly exclusively.
Look for them along the margins of lakes and ponds, amid the rough vegetation.
Fish, crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and small mammals make up the diet of American Bitterns. They wait quietly in the reeds, stealthily foraging among them until their victim comes closer, before pouncing swiftly to capture them in their bills.
The water, hidden amid coarse vegetation, is home to nests of American Bitterns. With available reeds, sedges, cattails, and other vegetation, females choose a nest location and construct it themselves.
They deposit up to seven eggs, which are incubated for around twenty-six days. The females feed the chicks directly into their beaks when they are hatched. They fled the nest after two weeks and are completely developed after six to seven weeks.
Fun Fact: Like the reeds that conceal them, American Bitterns point upwards and sway gently from side to side.
6. Least Bittern
From mid-April to September, Least Bitterns are spotted in southern Wisconsin, where they breed.
In the reeds, you may hear Least Bitterns before you see them, since they are the smallest herons in the Americas.
Their yellow beak is black on top, with brown and white shades. They grab the reeds with their long toes and claws.
Females and juveniles, like males, have lighter backs and crowns.
- Ixobrychus exilis
- Length: 11 – 14 in (28 – 36 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz (85 g)
- Wingspan: 16 – 18 in (41 – 46 cm)
The Bitterns’ normal habitat is Europe and Africa, but they may be found in North America on occasion.
Least Bitterns may be found in rich water and brackish marshlands with abundance of tall cattails and reeds. When they perch on reeds, look for them.
They’ll freeze 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 are among the foods of the Least Bittern. They sit on the reeds, doing acrobatic contortions to reach their victims on the water’s surface. They do this in order to position themselves.
The female of Least Bitterns constructs well-concealed platforms out of cattails and marsh vegetation. Each parent cares for seven eggs for around twenty days, after which they lay up to seven. Next, they regurgitate food to feed newly hatched chicks.
Fun Fact: Long necks characterize least bitterns, who generally keep their heads low.
7. Cattle Egret
Cattle Egrets are rare in Wisconsin, although they may be seen throughout the breeding season in the state’s southeast.
Cattle Egrets use a cunning method of catching food…they stand on the backs of cattle, which causes the disturbed prey to move and be caught by them.
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 in color. They have greenish-black legs and a tiny, yellow beak. Males and females have a similar appearance.
Their irises and cheeks are yellow in color. Their beaks are tiny and their legs are greenish-black. Mature men and women look very similar.
During the breeding season, Cattle Egrets’ colors brighten, particularly on their legs and face.
Their pale orange patches become darker during the breeding season. During the height of their courting, their bills, legs, and irises turn bright red, and their facial skin (lores) turns pinkish-red.
- Bubulcus ibis
- Length: 19 – 21 in (48 – 53 cm)
- Weight: 17.98 oz (510 g)
- Wingspan: 36 – 38 in (91 – 97 cm)
In North America, cattle egrets may be found across the continent, but they are exclusively found in Mexico’s south, the Gulf Coast, and southern states.
Those that breed further north, however, migrate south after breeding, particularly in the eastern United States.
Cattle Egrets may be found in native grasslands, grazing lands, agricultural fields, and rice paddies wherever hoofed animals are present.
They do venture into the edges of aquatic environments, such as riverbanks, ponds, and shallow marshes, even though they prefer to stay on land and on top of cattle. Golf courses, lawns, athletic fields, dumps, and parks are other places where they may be found.
Insects, mainly grasshoppers, crickets, flies, beetles, and moths make up the food of Cattle Egrets. Spiders, frogs, small snakes, lizards, earthworms, and fish are also among their prey.
Cattle Egret nests are commonly constructed in woodlands near lakes or rivers, on small islands, or on marshes. They are made of sticks and reeds.
Females deposit up to nine eggs, which take around twenty-five days to hatch. The young take around 45 days to fledge, become totally self-sufficient, and develop.
Fun Fact: Rather than 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. Snowy Egret
In southeastern Wisconsin during the breeding season, from April to October, snowy egrets are considered uncommon or accidental species.
The Little White Herons, or Snowy Egrets, are tiny all-white herons. They feature long, black beaks, long, black legs, and brilliant yellow footpaws. Their irises are yellow and the skin around their eyes is long.
Long, lacy feathers grow on their heads, necks, and backs during the breeding season. During courtship, their lores and cheeks turn reddish-pink, and their toes turn orange-red.
Interestingly, during aggressive encounters, these parts of their bodies become bright red.
Immature organisms have head plumes but not in the same way as adults. Their 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 most of the United States. In Mexico, Central, and South America, they are found throughout the year.
Snowy Egrets may be found in marshes, riverbanks, lakesides, pools, salt marshes, and estuaries. They prefer shallow, wetland environments. They prefer swampland with protective trees and shrubs for nesting.
Fish, crustaceans, snails, frogs, and crayfish are all hunted by snowy egrets in shallow water. They might rest quietly until prey comes to them, or they can stir the water to bring their meal to the surface, making it simpler for them to capture.
Snowy Egret males pick their own nests. They choose a spot and put on a full display for their prospective mates. The males continue to bring sticks, sedges, or reeds when they couple up, and the females construct the nest.
Trees or shrubs on the ground are often used to house nests. Both parents incubate their eggs alternately after the female lays two to six eggs. The average incubation period is twenty-four days.
Fun Fact: Because of their beautiful white head feathers, snowy egrets were practically hunted to extinction. They are now protected in Kansas and Wyoming.
9. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
In Wisconsin, Yellow-crowned Night-Herons are an uncommon sight and have been designated as an accidental species. During the breeding season from April to September, however, several have been seen in southeastern Wisconsin.
The crowns of juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Herons are yellow, with two plumes protruding from their heads. Their huge bills are black in color. They have a little white patch on the sides of their heads, and the rest of their heads are black.
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 the breeding season, their legs get longer and yellow, then coral, pink, or red.
Grayish-brown with white streaks and spots, juveniles begin their lives. It takes three years for them to develop into adults.
- 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 southern states. In Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern South America, they stay all year.
In coastal areas with a lot of crustaceans, shallow waters, and appropriate edges on which to feed, you may observe Yellow-crowned Night-herons both dawn and dusk.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons eat crustaceans like crabs and crayfish for the most part. Fish, inanimals, worms, mollusks, lizards, snakes, rats and birds are among the foods they consume. Little prey can be devoured instantaneously by them.
Crabs are often dismembered or stabbed in their bodies.
Yellow-crowned Night-herons build nests near water in tiny, loose colonies, which they do often. Both parents construct the nests out of soft sticks and twigs gathered from grass, leaves, and moss.
After that, they lay up to eight eggs, which they incubate for three weeks together. The chicks are fed by regurgitation when they hatch. They fledge after about a month and can fly on their own after fifty days.
Fun Fact: The deadly mosquito-borne illness (eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) virus) can kill horses and people, and yellow-crowned night-herons may transmit it.
10. Little Blue Heron
In Wisconsin, Little Blue Herons are a uncommon or accidental species, however they may be seen throughout the breeding season from time to time. In 2022, they were seen in the Friendship neighborhood of Middleton.
Little Blue Herons, especially juveniles, are not so small. Their bodies are long and stretched, ranging from medium to big. With dangling feathers across the nape, their heads and necks have a purple tinge.
During the breeding season, their eyes can become gray-green. Their two-toned bills, which are pale blue or grayish with black tips, are long and dagger-like. Slate-colored bodies embrace them. Long and black to gray-green legs.
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)
Little Blue Herons breed in the eastern United States before migrating south, but they are found all year along the Gulf Coast and Mexico.
Little Blue Herons may be found around water, in marshes, ponds, streams, lagoons, tidal flats, canals, ditches, and fish hatcheries.
In comparison to other herons, Little Blue Herons forage in a more elegant manner. They simply stand and wait in shallow waters for their prey, rather than dashing about across the water.
Fish, reptiles, amphibians, spiders, crustaceans, mice, and insects make up the diet of Little Blue Herons. Juveniles prefer to stay with mixed groups while adults tend to forage alone.
Little Blue Herons build nests out of sticks and prefer to live in colonies with other birds. Up to six eggs are laid by the female. Up to twenty-four days of incubation are shared by both parents.
Fun Fact: Juvenile Little Blue Herons have evolved to be able to capture more fish and gain additional protection from predators because of the Snowy Egret’s white coloring.
11. Tricolored Heron
In Wisconsin, the Tricolored Heron is an accidental species. They were seen around Sturgeon Bay in 2021, and they are quite uncommon in the state.
The white belly and neck stripe of a Tricolored Heron easily distinguishes it from other herons.
Adults with white feathers have a mix of blue-gray, purple, and white feathers. Their finch has a black tip on their yellowish or greyish bills. They have yellow or olive green legs and feet.
Adults’ back feathers and base of their beak turn blue, as well as having thin, white feathers extending from the rear of their heads. On their necks and backs, they also have finer feathers. Their legs, too, turn reddish in hue.
The neck, upper breasts, upper back, and wings of juveniles are more reddish-brown.
- Egretta tricolor
- Length: 24 – 26 in (61 – 66 cm)
- Weight: 14.6 oz (414 g)
- Wingspan: 36 in (91 cm)
Throughout the Gulf Coast, Mexico, and northern South America, tricolored Herons may be seen all year. Those that breed farther north in the Atlantic Coast migrate south.
Freshwater and brackish marshes, estuaries, and coastal tidal pools or swamps are all good places to look for Tricolored Herons.
Tricolored Herons are territorial when it comes to food, and they can be aggressive. They’ll like to devour little fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects in addition to other wading birds that try to feed in their region.
Stalking, chasorating, standing, and waiting for their prey is something to expect. Before striking, they squat low in the water with their bellies and necks touching the surface.
Tricolored Heron nests are constructed of sticks and may be found in trees and shrubs. The female lays three to five eggs, which the male and female share in incubation, taking three weeks to hatch. In addition, they both breastfeed the infants.
Fun Fact: The solitary dark-colored heron with a white belly is the Tricolored Heron, which was formerly referred to as the Louisiana heron.
How Frequently Herons Are Spotted In Wisconsin In Summer And Winter
Knowing which birds are common in your state can be found using checklists. The checklists on ebird in Wisconsin during the summer and winter show which herons are most often observed.
Herons in Wisconsin in summer:
Great Blue Heron 13.7%
Green Heron 6.5%
Great Egret 4.4%
American Bittern 1.5%
Black-crowned Night-Heron 1.4%
Least Bittern 0.5%
Snowy Egret 0.1%
Cattle Egret 0.1%
Little Blue Heron <0.1%
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Tricolored Heron <0.1%
Herons in Wisconsin in winter:
Great Blue Heron 0.7%
Black-crowned Night-Heron <0.1%
Great Egret <0.1%
Cattle Egret <0.1%
American Bittern <0.1%
Least Bittern <0.1%