Species ID
Species ID
Species ID
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Heron Identification<br />
Dave McNicholas NJ Audubon Kevin Karlson
Great Egret<br />
(GREG)<br />
Snowy Egret<br />
(SNEG)
Aredea alba – Great Egret (GREG)<br />
• Tall, slender, long-necked<br />
• Thin yellow bill<br />
• Black legs and feet<br />
• Juvenile looks similar to adult<br />
Dave McNicholas
Aredea alba – Great Egret (GREG)<br />
Long neck<br />
Yellow bill<br />
Black legs and feet
Aredea alba – Great Egret (GREG)<br />
Adult has long plumes<br />
during breeding<br />
NYC Audubon
Aredea alba – Great Egret (GREG)
Egretta thula - Snowy Egret (SNEG)<br />
Breeding Adult<br />
• Smaller size<br />
• Yellow lores<br />
• Black bill<br />
• Black legs<br />
• Yellow feet<br />
• “Lacy” plumes<br />
NYC Audubon
Egretta thula - Snowy Egret (SNEG)<br />
Kristin Mylecraine
Egretta thula - Snowy Egret (SNEG)<br />
Juvenile /<br />
Nonbreeding Adult<br />
• Similar to breeding adult<br />
• Yellow lores<br />
• Black bill<br />
• Legs yellow or green<br />
• Yellow feet<br />
• Juvenile has pale bill<br />
Kevin Karlson
Kristin Mylecraine
NYC Audubon
Tricolored<br />
Heron (TRHE)<br />
Little Blue<br />
Heron (LBHE)
Egretta caerulea – Little Blue Heron (LBHE)<br />
Adult<br />
• Thick, tapered bill<br />
• All dark body<br />
• Pale, dull green legs<br />
• Bill bluish<br />
Michael Pollock
Egretta caerulea – Little Blue Heron (LBHE)
Egretta caerulea – Little Blue Heron (LBHE)<br />
Juvenile<br />
• Easily confused with<br />
Snowy Egret juvenile<br />
• Pale, dull green legs<br />
• Lores and bill pale<br />
grayish, green, or pink<br />
• Small, dark wing tips<br />
distinctive, but not<br />
always visible
Egretta tricolor – Tricolored Heron (TRHE)<br />
Adult<br />
• Dark breast<br />
• Contrasting white belly<br />
• Extremely long bill<br />
Art Morris
Egretta tricolor – Tricolored Heron (TRHE)
Great Blue<br />
Heron<br />
(GBHE)
Aredea herodias – Great Blue Heron (GBHE)<br />
Adult<br />
• Large heron<br />
• Heavy bill<br />
• White crown with<br />
dark stripe<br />
• Gray overall<br />
• Black plumes<br />
NJ Audubon
Aredea herodias – Great Blue Heron (GBHE)<br />
Kristin Mylecraine<br />
Adult<br />
• Large heron<br />
• Heavy bill<br />
• White crown with<br />
dark stripe<br />
• Gray overall<br />
• Black plumes<br />
• Mostly stationary<br />
while foraging
Aredea herodias – Great Blue Heron (GBHE)<br />
Juvenile<br />
• Entire crown dark<br />
• Streaking on throat<br />
Kristin Mylecraine
Kristin Mylecraine
Black-crowned<br />
Night-Heron<br />
(BCNH)<br />
Yellow-crowned<br />
Night-Heron<br />
(YCNH)
Nycticorax nycticorax – Black-crowned Night<br />
Heron (BCNH)<br />
Adult<br />
• Stocky heron<br />
• Heavy bill,<br />
sharply pointed<br />
• Black crown and<br />
back<br />
Art Morris
Nycticorax nycticorax – Black-crowned Night<br />
Heron (BCNH)
Nyctanassa violacea – Yellow-crowned Night<br />
Heron (YCNH)<br />
Adult<br />
• Darker and more<br />
slender overall<br />
• Dark, thick bill<br />
• Bold head pattern<br />
with white cheek<br />
NJ Audubon
Nyctanassa violacea – Yellow-crowned Night<br />
Heron (YCNH)
Juveniles<br />
Black-crowned<br />
Night-Heron<br />
(BCNH)<br />
Yellow-crowned<br />
Night-Heron<br />
(YCNH)
Green Heron (GRHE)<br />
NJ Audubon
Butorides virescens - Green Heron (GRHE)
Glossy Ibis (GLIB)
Plegadis falcinellus – Glossy Ibis (GLIB)<br />
NYC Audubon
Cattle Egret (CAEG)<br />
NYC Audubon
American Bittern<br />
(AMBI)<br />
Least Bittern<br />
(LEBI)
American Bittern<br />
Least Bittern<br />
NJ Audubon<br />
Art Morris
Tricky teenagers<br />
American Bittern<br />
NJ Audubon<br />
Yellow-crowned Night Heron juvenile<br />
Steve Mattan
Change language