HERON FAMILY family Ardeidae order Ciconiiformes

Herons, Egrets, Bitterns Green Heron Great Egret Great Blue Heron Yellow Crowned Night Heron Black- Crowned Night Heron Least Bittern American Bittern Close to shore Wade in deeper water Motionless near log or bank Reeds Shallow at night

Shy Strong fliers S-shape Migratory

ADAPTATIONS Legs Toes Bill Neck Powder down areas of feathers Serrated middle claw

PREDATORS/CARNIVORES

NESTING Defend territory Colonies – rookeries Solitray Mixed colonies – herons Stick nest – trees – herons & egrets Grass nest – ground – bitterns Incubation 2 ½-4 week depending upon species Some incubate when 1 st egg is laid Altricial - remaining in nest 2 -3 weeks

FEEDING YOUNG Regurgitate Partly digested food Whole fish, frogs, snakes Trigger

PREY Foxes Minks Hawks Raccoons Crows and tree-climbing snakes may rob unguarded nests.

MALES Aggressive – fight Harsh calls Elaborate & instinctive motions Bright colors

VISITORS TO PA Little Blue Cattle egret Snowy egret

GREAT BLUE HERON 38 long and 70 wingspan Largest of dark herons Ardea herodias

EGGS Incubation by both sexes -28 days weeks Mom & dad feed chicks

HABITAT Saltwater or freshwater Remote Near trees Loss Propagation areas

GREEN-BACKED HERON Small – 14 long & wingspread 25 Butorides striatus

HABITAT

NESTING Shrubs Trees Orchards Pair Loose colony Not as friendly as blue Twigs & sticks Flimsy Male selects & starts Female finishes

GREAT EGRET Casmerodius albus 32 long & 55 wingspread, 2 tall

CONSERVATION LAWS

DIET Fish Small mammals Amphibians Insects

HABITAT Colonies trees Beech & red maple w/other heron species Swamps Lakes Ponds Susquehanna river shallows Islands and mudflats Habitat

NESTING Nest lined with leaves, moss, grass 3-4

BLACK -CROWNED NIGHT HERON Nycticorax nycticorax

FOOD Carnivore

HABITAT Fresh, salt and brackish waters, Forests Thickets even city parks!

NESTING 3-5 eggs Incubation days Both sexes build nest 2-5 days

YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

BLACK VS. YELLOW Longer legs Higher pitched call Yellow patch head Black & white head

DIET Frogs Fish Lizards Salamanders Insects

NESTING 3-5 eggs Incubation days Both sexes build nest 2-5 days

AMERICAN BITTERN Botaurus lentiginosus

AMERICAN BITTERN

NESTING Solitary nesters Ground platform of cattails, reeds, or grasses 3 – 7 eggs

LEAST BITTERN Ixobrychus exilis

HIDING

FOOD

NESTING 4 -5 eggs