List of the Herons of the World (IOC List ver. 10.2, in 2020)
The following is a list of the herons of the world based on IOC World Bird List, Version 10.2 (July 25, 2020).
Scientific Name | English Name | Breeding Range (Non-breeding Range in parentheses) | |
---|---|---|---|
Zonerodius heliosylus | Forest Bittern | AU: New Guinea | |
Tigriornis leucolopha | White-crested Tiger Heron | AF: Senegal to Central African Republic and DR Congo | |
Tigrisoma lineatum |
|
Rufescent Tiger Heron | MA, SA: widespread |
Tigrisoma fasciatum |
|
Fasciated Tiger Heron | MA, SA: Costa Rica to n Bolivia, se SA |
Tigrisoma mexicanum | Bare-throated Tiger Heron | MA, SA: Mexico to Colombia | |
Agamia agami | Agami Heron | MA, SA: e Mexico to Amazonia | |
Cochlearius cochlearius |
|
Boat-billed Heron | MA, SA: wc Mexico to ne Argentina |
Zebrilus undulatus | Zigzag Heron | SA: Amazonia | |
Botaurus stellaris |
|
Eurasian Bittern | EU: widespread (Non-bre: AF, n OR) |
Botaurus poiciloptilus | Australasian Bittern | AU: sw, se Australia, New Zealand | |
Botaurus lentiginosus | American Bittern | NA: widespread (Non-bre: MA, Caribbean) | |
Botaurus pinnatus |
|
Pinnated Bittern | MA, SA: e Mexico to ne Argentina |
Ixobrychus involucris | Stripe-backed Bittern | SA: Colombia to Suriname, s Bolivia and s Brazil to c Chile and c Argentina | |
Ixobrychus exilis |
|
Least Bittern | NA, MA, SA: e, sw USA to se Brazil |
Ixobrychus minutus |
|
Little Bittern | EU, AF: s, c Europe to c Asia, nw India, Africa |
Ixobrychus dubius | Black-backed Bittern | AU: e, sw Australia | |
Ixobrychus novaezelandiae | extinct | New Zealand Bittern | AU: South I., New Zealand |
Ixobrychus sinensis | Yellow Bittern | OR: widespread, also e Asia (Non-bre: AU) | |
Ixobrychus eurhythmus | Von Schrenck's Bittern | EU: se Siberia, Korea, Japan and e China (Non-bre: se Asia to the Sundas and Philippines) | |
Ixobrychus cinnamomeus | Cinnamon Bittern | OR: widespread, also e Asia | |
Ixobrychus sturmii | Dwarf Bittern | AF: widespread | |
Ixobrychus flavicollis |
|
Black Bittern | OR, AU: widespread |
Gorsachius magnificus | White-eared Night Heron | OR: s, e China, n Vietnam | |
Gorsachius goisagi | Japanese Night Heron | EU: Japan (Non-bre: se China, Philippines) | |
Gorsachius melanolophus | Malayan Night Heron | OR: widespread | |
Gorsachius leuconotus | White-backed Night Heron | AF: widespread | |
Nycticorax nycticorax |
|
Black-crowned Night Heron | Worldwide: except AU |
Nycticorax olsoni | extinct | Ascension Night Heron | AO: Ascension I. |
Nycticorax duboisi | extinct | Reunion Night Heron | IO: La Réunion |
Nycticorax mauritianus | extinct | Mauritius Night Heron | IO: Mauritius I. |
Nycticorax megacephalus | extinct | Rodrigues Night Heron | IO: Rodrigues I. |
Nycticorax caledonicus |
|
Nankeen Night Heron | AU: widespread |
Nyctanassa violacea |
|
Yellow-crowned Night Heron | NA, MA, SA: e USA to Peru and e Brazil |
Nyctanassa carcinocatactes | extinct | Bermuda Night Heron | AO: Bermuda |
Butorides virescens |
|
Green Heron | NA, MA: e and c USA to Panama |
Butorides sundevalli | Lava Heron | SA: Galápagos Islands | |
Butorides striata |
|
Striated Heron | SA, EU, AF, AU: widespread |
Ardeola ralloides | Squacco Heron | EU, AF: widespread | |
Ardeola grayii | Indian Pond Heron | EU, OR: Persian Gulf to Myanmar, Maldive Islands | |
Ardeola bacchus | Chinese Pond Heron | OR: widespread in the east | |
Ardeola speciosa |
|
Javan Pond Heron | OR: se |
Ardeola idae | Malagasy Pond Heron | AF: Madagascar, Aldabra Island (Non-bre: c, e AF) | |
Ardeola rufiventris | Rufous-bellied Heron | AF: Uganda and s Kenya to s Angola, n Botswana and e South Africa | |
Bubulcus ibis | Western Cattle Egret | EU, AF, NA, MA, SA: s Europe to Iran, Africa, Indian Ocean Is., North and Latin America | |
Bubulcus coromandus | Eastern Cattle Egret | OR: s, e Asia, Australasia | |
Ardea cinerea |
|
Grey Heron | EU, AF, OR: widespread |
Ardea herodias |
|
Great Blue Heron | NA, MA: widespread |
Ardea cocoi | Cocoi Heron | SA: widespread | |
Ardea pacifica | White-necked Heron | AU: Australia, s New Guinea | |
Ardea melanocephala | Black-headed Heron | AF: widespread south of the Sahara | |
Ardea humbloti | Humblot's Heron | AF: Madagascar | |
Ardea insignis | White-bellied Heron | OR: e Himalayas | |
Ardea sumatrana | Great-billed Heron | OR, AU: Southeast Asia to n Australia | |
Ardea goliath | Goliath Heron | AF, EU: widespread in Africa south of the Sahara, Iran and Iraq to India | |
Ardea purpurea |
|
Purple Heron | EU, OR, AF: widespread |
Ardea alba |
|
Great Egret | NA, SA, AF, EU, OR, AU: Worldwide |
Ardea intermedia |
|
Intermediate Egret | OR, AF, AU: widespread |
Pilherodius pileatus | Capped Heron | MA, SA: e Panama to se Brazil | |
Syrigma sibilatrix |
|
Whistling Heron | SA: n, sc, se |
Egretta picata | Pied Heron | AU: Sulawesi to n Australia | |
Egretta novaehollandiae | White-faced Heron | AU: widespread | |
Egretta rufescens |
|
Reddish Egret | NA, MA: s USA, Caribbean |
Egretta ardesiaca | Black Heron | AF: widespread south of the Sahara | |
Egretta vinaceigula | Slaty Egret | AF: Zambia to ne Namibia, n Botswana and w Zimbabwe | |
Egretta tricolor |
|
Tricolored Heron | NA, MA, SA: se USA to n SA |
Egretta caerulea | Little Blue Heron | NA, MA, SA: se USA to s Brazil | |
Egretta thula |
|
Snowy Egret | NA, MA, SA: widespread |
Egretta garzetta |
|
Little Egret | EU, AF, OR, AU: widespread |
Egretta gularis |
|
Western Reef Heron | AF, EU, OR: w AF, ne AF to w India, Sri Lanka |
Egretta dimorpha | Dimorphic Egret | AF: e, Madagascar | |
Egretta sacra |
|
Pacific Reef Heron | OR, AU: Southeast Asia to New Zealand |
Egretta eulophotes | Chinese Egret | EU: e Asia (Non-bre: se OR) |