Learn the identifying features of herons

What are herons?

The term ‘heron’ is a simple, general term referring to the group of birds from the family Ardeidae. This includes bitterns and egrets too!

Herons are generally silent birds, making little noise except when young or alarmed. They are easily recognised by their dagger-like bill and their ability to retract their long neck into an S-shape while flying. With their elongated necks, long legs, and long toes, herons are well adapted for wading and hunting in shallow waters.

Guide to identifying herons

Learn how to identify heron by looking at their key features, such as colour and size!

1. Colour

Many species have distinct colour patterns on their feathers, making it easier to tell them apart.

For example, the Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) can be distinguished from the Javan Pond Heron (Ardeola speciosa) based on the colour. While the Indian Pond Heron has white head plume, dark brownish-maroon back and a brownish-buff head, neck and breast, the Javan Pond Heron has a brownish-buff head and cinnamon-rufous breast.

Similar looking species of herons can often be distinguished by the colour of their bill, legs and feet.

For example, Little Egrets with black bills and legs and yellow feet can be distinguished from other egrets such as the Great Egrets who have yellow bills, and black legs and feet.

2. Size

Herons come in all sizes, from small bitterns that are no taller than your knee to big herons that are as tall as a child!

For example, the Grey Heron stands at 98cm tall, while the Little Heron is much smaller, at 40cm tall.

Knowing the approximate sizes of various birds can aid identification efforts by narrowing down the list of possible species, which can be especially useful when paired with observations of plumage colours and body shape.