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{{short description|Family of birds}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Herons
| fossil_range = Early [[Oligocene]]–Holocene {{fossil range|32|0|ref=<ref>Mayr, G. ''et al''. (2018) A fossil heron from the early Oligocene of Belgium - the earliest temporally well-constrained record of the Ardeidae. ''Ibis'', 161(1) DOI:10.1111/ibi.12600</ref>}}
| image = Ardeidae-01.jpg
| image_caption =
| taxon = Ardeidae
| authority = [[William Elford Leach|Leach]], 1820
| range_map = Heron range.png
| range_map_caption = Global distribution of herons
| type_genus = ''[[Ardea (bird)|Ardea]]'' Linnaeus, 1758
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = 18 extant, see [[#Taxonomy and systematics|text]]
| synonyms = Cochlearidae
}}

The '''herons''' are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal [[bird]]s in the family '''Ardeidae''',<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=August 2022 | title=Ibis, spoonbills, herons, Hamerkop, Shoebill, pelicans | work=IOC World Bird List Version 12.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/pelicans/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=29 January 2023 }}</ref> with 72 recognised [[species]], some of which are referred to as [[egret]]s or [[bittern]]s rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus'' are referred to as bitterns, and, together with the [[zigzag heron]], or zigzag bittern, in the monotypic genus ''Zebrilus'', form a [[monophyletic]] group within the Ardeidae. [[Egrets]] do not form a biologically distinct group from herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes in breeding plumage. Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks.

The classification of the individual heron/egret species is fraught with difficulty, and no clear consensus exists about the correct placement of many species into either of the two major genera, ''[[Ardea (genus)|Ardea]]'' and ''[[Egretta]]''. Similarly, the relationships of the [[genus|genera]] in the family are not completely resolved. However, one species formerly considered to constitute a separate [[monotypic]] family, the Cochlearidae or the [[boat-billed heron]], is now regarded as a member of the Ardeidae.

Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the [[stork]]s, [[ibis]]es, [[spoonbill]]s, and [[Crane (bird)|cranes]], they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched. They are also one of the bird groups that have [[powder down]]. Some members of this group nest [[Bird colony|colonially]] in trees, while others, notably the bitterns, use [[reed bed]]s. A group of them is called a "siege."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lipton|first=James|url=https://archive.org/details/exaltationoflark0000lipt_x7z9|url-access=registration|title=An Exaltation of Larks|date=1991|publisher=Viking|isbn=978-0-670-30044-0|language=en}}</ref>

==Name==
The word ''heron'' first appeared in the English language around 1300, originating from Old French ''hairon, eron'' (12th century), earlier'' hairo ''(11th century), from Frankish ''haigiro'' or from Proto-Germanic ''*haigrô'', ''*hraigrô''.<ref>{{OEtymD|heron}}</ref>

Herons are also known as ''shitepokes'' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|ʃ|aɪ|t|p|oʊ|k|}}, or euphemistically as ''shikepokes'' or ''shypokes''. ''[[Webster's Dictionary]]'' suggests that herons were given this name because of their habit of defecating when flushed.<ref>''"Shitepoke" and "Shikepoke" entries'', [[Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged]], [[Philip Babcock Gove]], Editor in Chief, [[G. and C. Mirriam Company]], 1971 {{ISBN|0-87779-001-9}}</ref>

The 1971 ''[[Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary]]'' describes the use of ''shitepoke'' for the small green heron of North America (''Butorides virescens'') as originating in the United States, citing a published example from 1853. The ''OED'' also observes that ''shiterow'' or ''shederow'' are terms used for herons, and also applied as derogatory terms meaning a ''thin, weakly person''. This name for a heron is found in a list of game birds in a royal decree of [[James VI]] (1566–1625) of [[Scotland]]. The ''OED'' speculates that ''shiterow'' is a corruption of ''shiteheron''.<ref>"Shitepoke" and "shiterow" entries, ''[[Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary]]'', [[Oxford University Press]], 1971, [[Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number]] 76-188038</ref>

Another former name was ''heronshaw'' or ''hernshaw'', derived from Old French ''heronçeau''. Corrupted to ''handsaw'', this name appears in [[Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Hamlet]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Armitage |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Armitage |date=2009 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0N9h8IE70AAC&pg=PT404 |title=The Poetry of Birds |publisher=Penguin |page=404 |isbn=978-0141941868}}</ref> A possible further corruption took place in the Norfolk Broads, where the heron is often referred to as a ''harnser''.

==Description==
[[File:Yellow Bittern hunting.jpg|thumb|left|The neck of this [[yellow bittern]] is fully retracted.|alt=A beige heron with yellow legs and bill stands hunched, its neck is hidden in the feathers of the body, on a wire mesh above water.]]

The herons are medium- to large-sized birds with long legs and necks. They exhibit very little [[sexual dimorphism]] in size. The smallest species is usually considered the [[dwarf bittern]], which measures {{convert|25-30|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} in length, although all the species in the genus ''[[Ixobrychus]]'' are small and many broadly overlap in size. The largest species of heron is the [[goliath heron]], which stands up to {{convert|152|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} tall. The necks are able to kink in an S-shape, due to the modified shape of the cervical vertebrae, of which they have 20–21. The neck can retract and extend and is retracted during flight, unlike most other long-necked birds. The neck is longer in the day herons than the night herons and bitterns. The legs are long and strong and in almost every species are unfeathered from the lower part of the [[tibia]] (the exception is the [[zigzag heron]]). In flight, the legs and feet are held backwards. The feet of herons have long, thin toes, with three forward pointing ones and one pointing backwards.<ref name = "HBW">{{Cite book | first1 = Albert | last1 = Martínez-Vilalta | first2 = Anna | last2 = Motis | editor-first = Josep | editor-last = del Hoyo | editor2-first = Andrew | editor2-last = Elliott | editor3-last = Sargatal | editor3-first = Jordi | contribution = Family Ardeidae (herons) | title = [[Handbook of the Birds of the World]]. Volume 1: Ostriches to Ducks | year = 1992 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0001unse/page/376 376–403] | place = Barcelona | publisher = Lynx Edicions | ISBN = 978-84-87334-10-8 }}</ref>

[[File:Eastern reef egrets in Ko Tao.jpg|thumb|The [[Pacific reef heron]] has two [[Polymorphism (biology)|colour morphs]], the light and the dark.|alt=two herons, one with white plumage and one with slate grey, on a rock in the surf of the ocean]]

The [[beak|bill]] is generally long and harpoon-like. It can vary from extremely fine, as in the [[agami heron]], to thick as in the [[grey heron]]. The most atypical bill is owned by the [[boat-billed heron]], which has a broad, thick bill. The bill and other bare parts of the body are usually yellow, black, or brown in colour, although this can vary during the breeding season. The wings are broad and long, exhibiting 10 or 11 [[primary feather]]s (the boat-billed heron has only nine), 15–20 secondaries, and 12 rectrices (10 in the bitterns). The feathers of the herons are soft and the [[plumage]] is usually blue, black, brown, grey, or white, and can often be strikingly complex. Amongst the day herons, little sexual dimorphism in plumage is seen (except in the pond-herons); differences between the sexes are the rule for the night herons and smaller bitterns. Many species also have different [[Polymorphism (biology)|colour morphs]].<ref name = "HBW"/> In the [[Pacific reef heron]], both dark and light colour morphs exist, and the percentage of each morph varies geographically. White morphs only occur in areas with coral beaches.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Itoh|first=Singi|year=1991|title=Geographical Variation of the Plumage Polymorphism in the eastern reef heron (''Egretta sacra'')|journal=The Condor|volume=93|issue=2|pages=383–389 |url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v093n02/p0383-p0389.pdf|doi=10.2307/1368954|jstor=1368954}}</ref>

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Lava Heron (Butorides sundevalli) Galapagos2.jpg|thumb|alt=Lava heron, grey with a long bill and red feet and with small fish in bill amongst grey rocks|[[Lava heron]]s are endemic to the [[Galápagos Islands]], where they feed on fish and crabs in the intertidal and mangrove areas.]]

The herons are a widespread family with a [[cosmopolitan distribution]]. They exist on all continents except [[Antarctica]] and are present in most habitats except the coldest extremes of the Arctic, extremely high mountains, and the driest deserts. Almost all species are associated with water; they are essentially non-swimming waterbirds that feed on the margins of lakes, rivers, swamps, ponds, and the sea. They are predominantly found in lowland areas, although some species live in alpine areas, and the majority of species occur in the tropics.<ref name ="HBW"/>

The herons are a highly mobile family, with most species being at least partially [[bird migration|migratory]]; for example, the [[grey heron]] is mostly sedentary in Britain, but mostly migratory in Scandinavia. Birds are particularly inclined to disperse widely after breeding, but before the annual migration, where the species is colonial, searching out new feeding areas and reducing the pressures on feeding grounds near the colony. The migration typically occurs at night, usually as individuals or in small groups.<ref name ="HBW"/>

==Behaviour and ecology==
===Diet===
[[File:Egretand lizard.jpg|thumb|A [[great egret]] manipulating its prey, a lizard, before swallowing|alt=A white heron with grey legs and a yellow/orange bill standing in green grasses throwing a lizard with its bill]]

The herons and bitterns are [[carnivorous]]. The members of this family are mostly associated with [[wetlands]] and water and feed on a variety of live [[Aquatic animal|aquatic]] prey. Their diet includes a wide variety of aquatic animals, including fish, reptiles, [[amphibian]]s, [[crustacean]]s, [[mollusc]]s, and aquatic insects. Individual species may be generalists or specialize in certain prey types, such as the [[yellow-crowned night heron]], which specializes in crustaceans, particularly [[crab]]s.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Watts|first=Bryan|year=1988|title=Foraging Implications of Food Usage Patterns in yellow-browned night-herons|journal=The Condor|volume=90|issue=4|pages=860–865 |url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v090n04/p0860-p0865.pdf|doi=10.2307/1368843|jstor=1368843}}</ref> Many species also opportunistically take larger prey, including birds and bird eggs, rodents, and more rarely [[carrion]]. Even more rarely, herons eating acorns, peas, and grains have been reported, but most vegetable matter consumed is accidental.<ref name ="HBW"/>

[[File:Balck Heron canopy crop.jpg|thumb|left|[[Black heron]]s holding wings out to form an umbrella-like canopy under which to hunt|alt=Four black herons standing in low water with vegetation holding their wings over their bodies forming what looks like umbrellas]]

The most common hunting technique is for the bird to sit motionless on the edge of or standing in shallow water and to wait until prey comes within range. Birds may either do this from an upright posture, giving them a wider field of view for seeing prey or from a crouched position, which is more cryptic and means the bill is closer to the prey when it is located. Having seen prey, the head is moved from side to side, so that the heron can calculate the position of the prey in the water and compensate for [[refraction]], and then the bill is used to spear the prey.<ref name ="HBW"/>

[[File:Heron tricol 01.JPG|thumb|[[Tricoloured heron]] fishing, using wings to eliminate reflection from the water, which improves its ability to sight prey]]

In addition to sitting and waiting, herons may feed more actively. They may walk slowly, around or less than 60 paces a minute, snatching prey when it is observed. Other active feeding behaviours include foot stirring and probing, where the feet are used to flush out hidden prey.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Meyerriecks|first=Andrew|year=1966|title=Additional Observations on "Foot-Stirring" Feeding Behavior in herons|journal=The Auk|volume=83|issue=3|pages=471–472 |url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v083n03/p0471-p0472.pdf|doi=10.2307/4083060|jstor=4083060}}</ref> The wings may be used to frighten prey (or possibly attract it to shade) or to reduce glare; the most extreme example of this is exhibited by the [[black heron]], which forms a full canopy with its wings over its body.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Delacour|first=J|year=1946|title=Under-Wing Fishing of the black heron, ''Melanophoyx ardesiaca''|journal=The Auk|volume=63|issue=3|pages=441–442 |url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v063n03/p0441-p0442.pdf|doi=10.2307/4080141|jstor=4080141}}</ref>

Some species of heron, such as the [[little egret]] and grey heron, have been documented using bait to lure prey to within striking distance. Herons may use items already in place, or actively add items to the water to attract fish such as the [[banded killifish]]. Items used may be man-made, such as bread;<ref>{{cite journal|last=Post|first=R. |author2=Post, C. |author3=F. Walsh|title=Little egret (''Egretta garzetta'') and grey heron (''Ardea cinerea'') Using Bait for Fishing in Kenya| journal=Waterbirds|year=2009| volume=32|issue=3|pages=450–452| doi=10.1675/063.032.0311|s2cid=85622885 }}</ref> alternatively, [[striated heron]]s in the [[Amazon Basin|Amazon]] have been watched repeatedly dropping seeds, insects, flowers, and leaves into the water to catch fish.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Robinson|first=S.|title=Use of bait and lures by green-backed herons in Amazonian Peru|journal=Wilson Bulletin|year=1994|volume=106|issue=3|pages=569–571|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v106n03/p0567-p0569.pdf|jstor=4163462}}</ref>

Three species, the [[black-headed heron]], [[whistling heron]], and especially the [[cattle egret]], are less tied to watery environments and may feed far away from water. Cattle egrets improve their foraging success by following large grazing animals, catching insects flushed by their movement. One study found that the success rate of prey capture increased 3.6 times over solitary foraging.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Dinsmore|first=James J.|year=1973|title=Foraging Success of Cattle Egrets, ''Bubulcus ibis''|journal=American Midland Naturalist|volume=89|issue=1|pages=242–246|doi=10.2307/2424157|jstor=2424157}}</ref>

===Breeding===
[[File:American-Bittern-01-web.jpg|thumb|The larger bitterns, like this [[American bittern]], are solitary breeders. To advertise for mates, males use loud, characteristic calls, referred to as booming.|alt=A brown heron with brown, back and beige coloured streaks stands in similarly coloured dead grasses, its head pointed upwards]]

While the family exhibits a range of breeding strategies, overall, the herons are [[monogamy|monogamous]] and mostly [[bird colony|colonial]]. Most day herons and night herons are colonial, or partly colonial depending on circumstances, whereas the bitterns and tiger herons are mostly solitary nesters. Colonies may contain several species, as well as other species of waterbirds. In a study of little egrets and cattle egrets in India, the majority of the colonies surveyed contained both species.<ref name="EgretcolonyIndia">{{cite journal|last1=Hilaluddin |first1=Aisha S. |last2=Khan |first2=A. |last3=Yahya |first3=H. |first4=R. |last4=Kaul |title=Nesting ecology of Cattle Egrets and Little Egrets in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, India |journal=Forktail |year=2006 |volume=22 |url=http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/22pdfs/Hilaludin-CattleEgrets.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610155611/http://www.orientalbirdclub.org/publications/forktail/22pdfs/Hilaludin-CattleEgrets.pdf |archive-date=2011-06-10 }}</ref> Nesting is seasonal in temperate species; in tropical species, it may be seasonal (often coinciding with the rainy season) or year-round. Even in year-round breeders, nesting intensity varies throughout the year. Tropical herons typically have only one breeding season per year, unlike some other tropical birds which may raise up to three broods a year.<ref name ="HBW"/>

Courtship usually takes part on the [[bird nest|nest]]. Males arrive first and begin the building of the nest, where they display to attract females. During courtship, the male employs a stretch display and uses erectile neck feathers; the neck area may swell. The female risks an aggressive attack if she approaches too soon and may have to wait up to four days.<ref>Kushlan, J. A. (2011). [https://www.heronconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/resources/Heron-Behavior-Terminology.pdf The terminology of courtship, nesting, feeding and maintenance in herons] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024210538/https://www.heronconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/resources/Heron-Behavior-Terminology.pdf |date=2019-10-24 }}. heronconservation.org</ref> In colonial species, displays involve visual cues, which can include adopting postures or ritual displays, whereas in solitary species, auditory cues, such as the deep booming of the bitterns, are important. The exception to this is the boat-billed heron, which pairs up away from the nesting site. Having paired, they continue to build the nest in almost all species, although in the [[little bittern]] and [[least bittern]], only the male works on the nest.<ref name ="HBW"/>

Some [[Ornithology|ornithologists]] have reported observing female herons attaching themselves to [[Erectile dysfunction|impotent]] mates, then seeking sexual gratification elsewhere.<ref name ="HBW"/>

The nests of herons are usually found near or above water. Although the nests of a few species have been found on the ground where suitable trees or shrubs are unavailable, they are typically placed in vegetation.<ref name ="HBW"/><ref name="EgretcolonyIndia"/> Trees are used by many species, and here they may be placed high up from the ground, whereas species living in reed beds may nest very close to the ground.<ref name ="HBW"/>

Generally, herons lay between [[clutch (eggs)|three and seven eggs]]. Larger clutches are reported in the smaller bitterns and more rarely some of the larger day herons, and single-egg clutches are reported for some of the tiger herons. Clutch size varies by latitude within species, with individuals in temperate climates laying more eggs than tropical ones. On the whole, the eggs are glossy blue or white, with the exception being the large bitterns, which lay olive-brown eggs.<ref name ="HBW"/>

==Taxonomy and systematics==
{{See also|List of heron species}}

Analyses of the skeleton, mainly the [[skull]], suggested that the Ardeidae could be split into a [[Diurnal animal|diurnal]] and a [[crepuscular]]/[[nocturnal]] group which included the bitterns. From [[DNA]] studies and skeletal analyses focusing more on bones of body and limbs, this grouping has been revealed as incorrect.<ref name="McCracken & Sheldon"/> Rather, the similarities in skull [[Morphology (biology)|morphology]] reflect [[convergent evolution]] to cope with the different challenges of daytime and nighttime feeding. Today, it is believed that three major groups can be distinguished,<ref name=Sheldon1995/><ref name=Sheldon2000/> which are:

* tiger herons and the boatbill
* bitterns
* day herons and egrets, and night herons

The night herons could warrant separation as subfamily Nycticoracinae, as it was traditionally done. However, the position of some genera (e.g. ''Butorides'' or ''Syrigma'') is unclear at the moment, and molecular studies have until now suffered from a small number of studied taxa. Especially, the relationships among the subfamily Ardeinae are very badly resolved. The arrangement presented here should be considered provisional.

A 2008 study suggests that this family belongs to the [[Pelecaniformes]].<ref>{{cite journal |title=A Phylogenomic Study of Birds Reveals Their Evolutionary History |vauthors=Hackett SJ, Kimball RT, Reddy S, Bowie RC, Braun EL, Braun MJ, Chojnowski JL, Cox WA, Han KL, Harshman J, Huddleston CJ, Marks BD, Miglia KJ, Moore WS, Sheldon FH, Steadman DW, Witt CC, Yuri T |journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] |volume=320 |issue=5884 |year=2008 |pages=1763–1768 |doi=10.1126/science.1157704 |pmid=18583609|bibcode=2008Sci...320.1763H |s2cid=6472805 }}</ref> In response to these findings, the [[International Ornithological Congress]]  reclassified Ardeidae and their sister taxa [[Threskiornithidae]] under the order Pelecaniformes instead of the previous order of [[Ciconiiformes]].<ref>Gill, F. and Donsker, D. (eds). (2010). [http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ioc-lists/family-links/ Family Links] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222101635/http://www.worldbirdnames.org/ioc-lists/family-links/ |date=2016-12-22 }}. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.4).</ref>

* Subfamily [[Tigriornithinae]]
** Genus ''[[Cochlearius]]'' – boat-billed heron
** Genus ''[[Taphophoyx]]'' ([[fossil]], Late Miocene of Levy County, Florida)
** Genus ''[[Tigrisoma]]'' – typical tiger herons (three species)
** Genus ''[[Tigriornis]]'' – white-crested tiger heron
** Genus ''[[Zonerodius]]'' – forest bittern

* Subfamily [[Botaurinae]]
** Genus ''[[Zebrilus]]'' – zigzag heron
** Genus ''[[Ixobrychus]]'' – small bitterns (eight living species, one recently [[extinct]])
** Genus ''[[Botaurus]]'' – large bitterns (four species)
** Genus ''[[Pikaihao]]'' - Saint Bathan's bittern ([[fossil]], Early Miocene of Otago, New Zealand)

* Subfamily [[Ardeinae]]
** Genus ''[[Zeltornis]]'' ([[fossil]], Early Miocene of Djebel Zelten, Libya)
** Genus ''[[Nycticorax]]'' – typical night herons (two living species, four recently extinct; sometimes includes ''Nyctanassa'')
** Genus ''[[Nyctanassa]]'' – American night herons (one living species, one recently extinct)
** Genus ''[[Gorsachius]]'' – Asian and African night herons (four species)
** Genus ''[[Butorides]]'' – green-backed herons (three species; sometimes included in ''Ardea'')
** Genus ''[[Agamia]]'' – Agami heron
** Genus ''[[Pilherodius]]'' – capped heron
** Genus ''[[Ardeola]]'' – pond herons (six species)
** Genus ''[[Bubulcus]]'' – cattle egrets (one or two species, sometimes included in ''Ardea'')
** Genus ''[[Proardea]]'' ([[fossil]])
** Genus ''[[Ardea (genus)|Ardea]]'' – typical herons (11–17 species)
** Genus ''[[Syrigma]]'' – whistling heron
** Genus ''[[Egretta]]'' – typical egrets (7–13 species)
** Genus undetermined
*** Easter Island heron, Ardeidae ''gen. et sp. indet.'' ([[Late Quaternary prehistoric birds|prehistoric]])

; Fossil herons of unresolved affiliations:
* ''"Anas" basaltica'' (Late Oligocene of Varnsdorf, Czech Republic)
* ''[[Ardeagradis]]''
* ''[[Proardeola]]'' – possibly same as ''Proardea''
* [[Matuku (bird)|''Matuku'']] (Early Miocene of Otago, New Zealand)

Other prehistoric and fossil species are included in the respective genus accounts. In addition, ''[[Proherodius]]'' is a disputed fossil which was variously considered a heron or one of the extinct long-legged [[waterfowl]], the [[Presbyornithidae]]. It is only known from a [[sternum]]; a [[tarsometatarsus]] assigned to it actually belongs to the [[paleognath]] ''[[Lithornis]] vulturinus''.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:White-faced heron in flight.jpg|White-faced heron (''Egretta novaehollandiae''), demonstrating the retracted neck that is typical of herons in flight.
File:Bird-001-rj.jpg|[[Bare-throated tiger heron]] (''Tigrisoma mexicanum'')
File:Botaurus stellaris (Marek Szczepanek).jpg|[[Great bittern]] (''Botaurus stellaris'')
File:Great Egret (Casmerodius albus)- Non-breeding plumage in Kolkata W2 IMG 4341.jpg|Eastern great egret (''[[Ardea modesta]]'')
File:The wounded heron.jpg|''The Wounded Heron'' by [[George Frederic Watts]], 1837 ([[Watts Gallery]])
File:Coat of Arms of Priozersk (2020).jpg|Heron pictured in the coat of arms of [[Priozersk]], Russia
File:IMG 3999-01 el Qanater waterfalla.jpg|[[Squacco Heron]] from Egypt
File:Čaplja u Zagrebu.JPG|Heron in [[Zagreb Zoo|Zagreb Zoological Garden]], Croatia
</gallery>

== Symbolic meaning in Mysticism ==
In Buddhism, a heron symbolizes purity, transformation and the wisdom of the Buddha. In addition, as a bird that transcends elements - earth, water and air, the heron symbolizes the expansion of awareness and the ubiquity of consciousness.

In Native American culture, this bird symbolizes renewal, rejuvenation and rebirth - an ever present reminder that we are all a part of a larger cycle of life and death.

==References==
{{Reflist|35em|refs=
<ref name="McCracken & Sheldon">{{cite journal|author1=McCracken, Kevin G. |author2=Sheldon, Frederick H.|year=1998|title= Molecular and osteological heron phylogenies: sources of incongruence|journal=[[Auk (journal)|Auk]]|volume=115|issue=1|pages= 127–141|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v115n01/p0127-p0141.pdf|doi=10.2307/4089118|jstor=4089118}}</ref>

<ref name=Sheldon1995>{{cite journal|author1=Sheldon, Frederick H. |author2=McCracken, Kevin G. |author3=Stuebing, Keeley D. |year=1995|title= Phylogenetic relationships of the zigzag heron (''Zebrilus undulatus'') and white-crested bittern (''Tigriornis leucolophus'') estimated by DNA-DNA hybridization|journal=[[Auk (journal)|Auk]]|volume=112|issue=3|pages= 672–679|jstor = 4088682|url=http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v112n03/p0672-p0679.pdf}}</ref>

<ref name=Sheldon2000>{{cite journal|author1=Sheldon, Frederick H. |author2=Jones, Clare E. |author3=McCracken, Kevin G. |year=2000 |title=Relative Patterns and Rates of Evolution in Heron Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=437–450 |url=http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/~kevin_mccracken/reprints/mbe-17-437.pdf |doi=10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a026323 |pmid=10723744 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060907220949/http://mercury.bio.uaf.edu/~kevin_mccracken/reprints/mbe-17-437.pdf |archive-date=2006-09-07 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
*Hancock, James & [[Sir Hugh Elliott, 3rd Baronet|Elliott, Hugh]] (1978) ''The Herons of the World''; with paintings by Robert Gillmor and Peter Hayman, and drawings by Robert Gillmor. London: London Editions {{ISBN|0-905562-05-4}}; New York: Harper & Row {{ISBN|0-06-011759-1}}

==External links==

* [http://www.heronconservation.org/ HeronConservation] Heron Specialist Group of IUCN
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110415003947/http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/herons-ardeidae Heron videos] on the Internet Bird Collection

{{Taxonbar|from=Q18789}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ardeidae|*]]
[[Category:Herons|*]]
[[Category:Extant Paleocene first appearances]]
[[Category:Taxa named by William Elford Leach]]

Heron - Revision history

Igornhx: adjusted details additionally and corrected details based on references

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article