Do herons and egrets belong in the same or different groups?

Top:  White-faced heron, Little blue heron, Green heron
Bottom:  Reddish egret, Black-crowned night heron, Yellow-crowned night heron, Great blue heron

The three species of heron I have seen in Canada are the green heron, black-crowned night heron, and great blue heron.  The white-faced heron I photographed in New Zealand, and the other three were taken in southern Texas near the Gulf of (Ahem) Mexico.  And, if you didn't notice, there is an egret in the group.

The body shape of herons and egrets appears to be the same, which isn't a coincidence.  Egrets are really just a type of heron.  They both belong to the Ardeidea.  The term egret typically applies to white heron-like birds or heron-like birds with a glossy coat.  Below are photos of some egrets.

Snowy egret, Great egret, Cattle egret

The only North-American member of the Ardeidea that I haven't seen or photographed is the tri-coloured heron.  Cattle egrets are an old-world species found in Africa, Europe, and Asia.  They have been introduced to North America and are now found in the southeast area of the US and Mexico.  

Regardless of where they are from, egrets and herons belong to the same group.  You wouldn't be wrong to call an egret a heron, but a "twitcher" may be compelled to correct you.  (What's a twitcher? - look it up!).

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com


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