Ardeidae Bitterns, Herons and Egrets Extant Pterodactyls What Order? Ciconiiformes

Ciconiiformes Families Ardeidae Balaenicipitidae Scopidae Ciconiidae Threskiornithidae Phoenicopteridae (?) Number of Species 59 Herons, bitterns, egrets 1 Shoebill 1 Hammerkop 19 Storks 29 Ibises and Spoonbills 4 Flamingos

Neat idea! Carthartidae – New World Vultures may be possible Ciconiiforms

Relatives? Balaenicipitidae- Pelicaniform Eurypygidae - Gruiform

(Mayr and Clarke, 2003) Cladistics

Those “other” relatives we no longer speak to: Systematically, Ardeids are more closely related to Sunbitterns than Sunbitterns are related to Bustards, yet they are both Gruiforms! Otididae – Gruiform Threskiornithidae - Ciconiiforms

Distributions Actually entire US and parts of Mexico (although not all Ardeids are equally distributed, of course) Black Heron, Black-Headed Heron, African Green-Backed Heron and many others Chinese Pond Heron and Grey Heron (also found in parts of Africa)

Foreigners Black Heron Chinese Pond Heron African Green-Backed Heron Black-headed Heron Squacco Heron Madagascar Heron Goliath Heron White-Crested (fasciated) Tiger Heron

Patriots = AZ = uncommon, But seen in AZ American Bittern Least Bittern Great Blue Heron Little Egret = rare to US, but seen Reddish Egret Snowy Egret Great Egret Tricolored Heron Little Blue Heron Yellow-crowned Night Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Green Heron Cattle Egret

Confusing Plumage Reddish Egret Snowy Egret Little Egret Cattle Egret Little Blue Heron (Juvenile) Cattle Egret Great Egret Great Blue Heron (White Morph)

Which Ardeid is this? Grey Heron - Eurasia Great-Blue Heron – Nearctic

Broad Ardeid Facts Solitary or Colonial Nesters (in trees, near water) Many monogamous – biparental care Elegant courtship displays (flying around, dancing, etc) Long necks and long, pointed bills for spearing fish and other prey (aquatic inverts, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals) – hunt by either standing and creeping slowly in water or on vegetation close to or overlapping water Varied size range: (Lengths: 60’’ (5 ft!) [Goliath Heron] – 13’’ [Least Bittern]; Wingspans: 72’’ [Great Blue] – 17’’ [Least Bittern]; weights: 5.3 lbs [Great Blue] – 0.17 lbs [Least Bittern])

Feeding http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z3zDMekjJk Green Heron: foraging walk in water http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z3zDMekjJk Black Heron: “canopy” hunters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REiynfAdFSA

Arizona Ardeids (Bitterns) Cryptic Marsh Birds, easier to hear than see Least Bittern Smallest Heron Usually crouched in weeds Black back (mantle, scapulars, rump) with white lines, black crown Uncommon, seen in Southern AZ American Bittern -Large and heavy bodied -clearly stripped breast and belly -More common, Southern AZ, winter range – migrates through Northern parts of AZ “Agonizingly slow gait” (Sibley, 2006)

Arizona Ardeids Widespread in AZ, often gathered in flocks (especially Snowy) Great Egret No plumes Thin, yellow bill, slightly downcurved Black feet Larger than Snowy (L. 39’’, WS. 51’’) Snowy Egret Yellow lores Yellow feet Lacy plumes Smaller than Greater (L. 24’’, WS. 41’’

Arizona Ardeids Migrate through AZ, small flocks in upland habitat, often near livestock Cattle Egret Primarily eats insects Stocky necks short, dark legs (orange in breeding season) Unlike many Herons, forage on land, never in water (Sibley, 2006) Self-introduced to New Zealand (first seen in 1963) – considered native Nonbreeding Breeding

Arizona Ardeids (“mini-” Herons) Both primarily eat Fish Green Heron Rufous-colored neck yellow eye Dark crown extending to bill Green, irridescent remiges and back Long, straight bill Black-crowned Night Heron Nocturnal foragers red eye dark crown stops before bill, white nasal patch Dark, black back stocky, shorter bill

Arizona Ardeids The modern pterodactyl Great Blue Heron Very common Largest Heron in US (can kill a man!) stand stall and frequently stationary in water when feeding Plumes on head (males) and puffy breast plumage Avian Research Approachability Index (ARAI) For Great Blue Herons: ~ 8 ft. ARAI = (B + D)/(S x E x H) B = boldness of researcher (testosterone + caffeine + idiocy2) D = Time of Day S = size of bird E = habitat H = satiation (hunger needs met) (Publication in press)

Done! Lava Heron of the Galápagos

Ciconiidae TYLER WEISS

Ciconiidae In the order Ciconiiformes, family are identified by bill shape Ciconiidae- have large, straight bill, sometimes curved Large wading birds, often in or around water Long legs Diet consists of fish, amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles, and small mammals

Order Ciconiiformes

Ciconiidae Storks 6 genera and 19 different species Genera includes Anastomus, Ciconia, Ephippiorhynchus, Jabiru, Leptoptilos, Mycteria No syrinx, they are mute, communicate by bill clattering Monogamous by nest, sometimes change mates yearly Can live up to 30-40 years

Pictures of Ciconiidae

Ciconiidae of North America Only 2 storks in N. America Wood Stork- Lives in Georgia and Florida Jabiru Stork- Lives in S. America, breeds in Texas and Oklahoma occasionally

Interesting Facts Pictures of storks carrying babies because of their great parental care Marabou stork has largest wingspan of land birds at 10.5ft wide Marabou Stork of Africa can reach 5 ft tall -Nests can be 10ft deep and 6ft wide - Colony nesters

Any Questions Folks?