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Heron :: Heron_Island :: Herons_Creek :: Heron_Lake :: Herons :: Heron_of_Alexandria
 

The herons are wading birds in the Ardeidae family. Some are named as egrets or bitterns.

Within the family, all members of the genera, Botaurus and Ixobrychus are named as bitterns, not herons and are a definable group within the family.

However, the egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes.

The classification of the individual heron species is fraught with difficulty, and there is still no clear consensus about the correct placement of many species into either of the two major genera, Ardea and Egretta. Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the storks, ibises and spoonbills, they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched.

The Boat-billed Heron is sometimes classed as a heron, and sometimes given its own family Cochlearidae.

The members of this family are all primarily associated with wetlands, and prey on fish, frogs and other aquatic species. Some, like the Cattle Egret, also take large insects, and are less tied to watery environments. Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, others, notably the bitterns, use reedbeds.

In February 2005 the Canadian scientist Dr Louis Lefebvre announced a method of measuring avian IQ in terms of their innovation in feeding habits. Herons were named among the most intelligent birds based on this scale.

Species

The genera Ixobrychus and Botaurus are the bitterns

See also

External links

Ardeidae

Heraldic birds

بلشونيات | Hejrer | Reiher | Ardeoj | Héron | אנפתיים | Herono | 왜가릿과 | Garniniai | Reigers en roerdompen | Кæсаглас | Czaplowate | Ardeidae | Hägrar | 鹭科 The Heron-mark on a blade of any character in the Wheel of time Series of Books bu Robert Jordan signifies the rank of a Blade master. The Heron is used as a mascot due to its precise n deadly hunting skills in the water amongst aquatic prey.

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Heron".

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