All Topics  
Heron

 
Heron

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Heron
 
 
  Topics Heron Topic Home

The herons are wading bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
s in the Ardeidae family. Some are called egret
Egret

An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genus Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets....
s or bittern
Bittern

Bitterns are a classification of wading birds in the heron family Ardeidae. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family....
s instead of herons. Within the family, all members of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are referred to as bitterns, and - including the Zigzag Heron
Zigzag Heron

The Zigzag Heron is a species of heron in the Ardeidae family, also including egrets and bitterns. It is in the monotypic genus Zebrilus....
 or Zigzag Bittern - are a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. However, egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white and/or have decorative plumes, and while having the same build as the larger herons tend to be smaller.

The classification of the individual heron/egret 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
Ardea (genus)

Ardea is a genus of herons. Carolus Linnaeus named this genus as the Great Herons, referring to the generally large size of these birds, typically 80-100 cm or more in length...
 and Egretta
Egretta

Egretta is a genus of medium-sized herons, mostly breeding in warmer climates. Representatives of this family are found in most of the world, and the Little Egret, as well as being widespread throughout much of the Old World, has now started to colonise the Americas....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Heron'
Start a new discussion about 'Heron'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The herons are wading bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
s in the Ardeidae family. Some are called egret
Egret

An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genus Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets....
s or bittern
Bittern

Bitterns are a classification of wading birds in the heron family Ardeidae. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family....
s instead of herons. Within the family, all members of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are referred to as bitterns, and - including the Zigzag Heron
Zigzag Heron

The Zigzag Heron is a species of heron in the Ardeidae family, also including egrets and bitterns. It is in the monotypic genus Zebrilus....
 or Zigzag Bittern - are a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. However, egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white and/or have decorative plumes, and while having the same build as the larger herons tend to be smaller.

The classification of the individual heron/egret 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
Ardea (genus)

Ardea is a genus of herons. Carolus Linnaeus named this genus as the Great Herons, referring to the generally large size of these birds, typically 80-100 cm or more in length...
 and Egretta
Egretta

Egretta is a genus of medium-sized herons, mostly breeding in warmer climates. Representatives of this family are found in most of the world, and the Little Egret, as well as being widespread throughout much of the Old World, has now started to colonise the Americas....
. Similarly, the relationship of the genera
Genus

A genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The taxonomic ranks are domain , kingdom , phylum, class , order , family , genus, and species....
 in the family is not completely resolved. However, one species formerly considered to constitute a separate monotypic
Monotypic

In biology, a monotype is a alpha taxonomy group with only one biological type:In botany, a monotype is a taxon that has only one species: Ginkgo is a monotypic genus, while Ginkgoaceae is a monotypic family ....
 family Cochlearidae, the Boat-billed Heron
Boat-billed Heron

The Boat-billed Heron, Cochlearius cochlearius, - colloquially known as the Boatbill - is an atypical member of the heron family, and was formerly thought to be in a monotypic family, Cochlearidae....
, is now regarded as a member of the Ardeidae.

Although herons resemble birds in some other families, such as the storks, ibis
Ibis

The ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae. They all have long down curved bills, and usually feed as a group, probing mud for food items, usually crustaceans....
es and spoonbill
Spoonbill

Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises.All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly-opened bill from side to side....
s, they differ from these in flying with their necks retracted, not outstretched. They are also one of the bird groups that have powder down
Powder down

Powder down is a special type of down feathers. They occur in a few groups of apparently unrelated birds and thus are probably evolutionary homoplasies....
.

Some members of this group nest colonially in trees, others, notably the bitterns, use reedbeds.

Diet

The members of this family are mostly associated with wetlands, and prey on rabbits, fish, frogs and other aquatic species. Some, like the Cattle Egret
Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret is a cosmopolitan distribution species of heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotype genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard its two subspecies as full species....
 and Black-headed Heron
Black-headed Heron

The Black-headed Heron is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, common throughout much of Africa south of the Sahara, and Madagascar. It is mainly resident but some west African birds bird migration further north in the rainy season....
, also take large insects, and are less tied to watery environments.

In February 2005, the Canadian
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
 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, reflecting a wide variety, flexibility and adaptiveness to acquire food.

Name

Herons are also known as "shitepokes", or euphemistically as "shikepokes". Webster's Dictionary
Webster's Dictionary

Webster's Dictionary is the name given to a common type of English language dictionary in the United States. The name is derived from lexicographer Noah Webster and has become a genericized trademark for this type of dictionary....
 suggests that herons were given this name because of their habit of defecating when flushed. The terms "shitepoke" or "shikepoke" can be used as insults in a number of situations. For example, the term "shikepoke" appears in the 1931 play Green Grow The Lilacs
Green Grow the Lilacs (play)

Green Grow the Lilacs is a 1931 play by Lynn Riggs named for the popular folk song of the Green Grow the Lilacs. It was performed 64 times on Broadway theatre, opening on January 26, 1931 and closing March 21, 1931....
, and in the 1943 musical play Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!

Oklahoma! is the first musical theater written by Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs ....
.

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
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, 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 gamebirds in a royal decree of James VI (1566 -1625) of Scotland
Scotland

conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
. The OED speculates that "shiterow" is a corruption of "shiteheron".

Taxonomy and systematics


Analyses of the skeleton, mainly the skull
Skull

The skull is a bone structure found in the head of many animals. The skull supports the structures of the face and protects the head against injury....
, suggested that the Ardeidae could be split into a diurnal
Diurnal animal

Scientific term refered to as an animal behavior, diurnality indicates an animal that is active during the daytime and rests during the night. Animals that are not diurnal might be Nocturnality or crepuscular .  Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects and birds....
 and a crepuscular
Crepuscular

Crepuscular is a term used to describe some animals that are primarily active during twilight, that is at dawn and at dusk. The word is derived from the Latin word crepusculum, meaning "twilight"....
/nocturnal group which included the bitterns. From DNA
DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetics instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and some viruses....
 studies and skeletal analyses focusing more on bones of body and limbs, this grouping has been revealed as incorrect. Rather, the similarities in skull morphology
Morphology (biology)

The term morphology in biology refers to form, structure and configuration of an organism. This includes aspects of the outward appearance as well as the form and structure of the internal parts like bones and organs....
 reflect convergent evolution
Convergent evolution

Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action....
 to cope with the different challenges of daytime and nighttime feeding. Today, it is believed that three major groups can be distinguished, which are (from the most primitive to the most advanced):
  • 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 relationship among the ardeine subfamily is very badly resolved. The arrangement presented here should be considered provisional.

Recent DNA evidence suggests that this family may in fact belong to the Pelecaniformes
Pelecaniformes

The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide. They are distinguished from other birds by the possession of feet with all four toes webbed ....
.

Botaurus Stellaris (marek Szczepanek)
Subfamily Tigrisomatinae

  • Genus Cochlearius - Boat-billed Heron
  • Genus Tigrisoma
    Tigrisoma

    Tigrisoma is a genus of heron in the Ardeidae family.It contains the following species:* Bare-throated Tiger-heron, Tigrisoma mexicanum...
     - typical tiger-herons (3 species)
  • Genus Tigriornis - White-crested Tiger-heron
  • Genus Zonerodius - New Guinea Tiger-heron


Subfamily Botaurinae

  • Genus Zebrilus - Zigzag Heron
  • Genus Ixobrychus
    Ixobrychus

    Ixobrychus is a genus of bitterns, a group of wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae. It has a single representative species in each of North America, South America, Eurasia and Australasia....
     - small bitterns (8 living species, 1 recently extinct)
  • Genus Botaurus
    Botaurus

    Botaurus is a genus of bitterns, a group of wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae. It has a single representative species in each of North America, Central America and South America, Eurasia and Australasia....
     - large bitterns (4 species)


Subfamily Ardeinae

  • Genus Zeltornis
    Zeltornis

    Zeltornis is an extinct genus of heron. It contains a single species, Zeltornis ginsburgi.Zeltornis probably resembled the modern night herons, but was much larger, standing 2 m tall and weighing about 15 kg....
     (fossil
    Fossil

    Fossils are the preserved remains or trace fossil of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. The totality of fossils, both discovered and undiscovered, and their placement in fossiliferous Rock formations and sedimentary rock layers is known as the fossil record....
    )
  • Genus Nycticorax
    Nycticorax

    Nycticorax is a genus of night herons. The name Nycticorax derives from the Greek language for ?night raven? and refers to the largely nocturnal feeding habits of this group of birds, and the croaking crow call of the best known species, the Black-crowned Night Heron....
     typical night-herons (2-4 living species, 5 recently extinct; includes Nyctanassa)
  • Genus Gorsachius
    Gorsachius

    Gorsachius is a genus of night herons. These are medium-sized, largely nocturnal herons which are bird migration outside the tropical parts of their ranges....
     - Asian night-herons (3-5 species)
  • Genus Butorides
    Butorides

    Butorides is a genus of small herons. It contains three similar species, the Green Heron or Green-backed Heron, Butorides virescens, the Lava Heron , and the Striated Heron, Butorides striatus....
     - green-backed herons (3 species; sometimes included in Ardea)
  • Genus Agamia - Agami Heron
  • Genus Pilherodius - Capped Heron
  • Genus Ardeola
    Ardeola

    Ardeola is a genus of small herons, typically 40-50 cm long with 80-100 cm wingspan. Most breed in the tropical Old World, but the bird migration Squacco Heron occurs in southern Europe and the Middle East and winters in Africa....
     pond-herons (6 species)
  • Genus Bubulcus - cattle-egrets (1-2 species, sometimes included in Ardea)
  • Genus Proardea
    Proardea

    Proardea is an extinct genus of heron, containing a single species, Proardea amissa . It stood about 70 cm tall and was very similar to a modern heron in shape....
     (fossil
    Fossil

    Fossils are the preserved remains or trace fossil of animals, plants, and other organisms from the remote past. The totality of fossils, both discovered and undiscovered, and their placement in fossiliferous Rock formations and sedimentary rock layers is known as the fossil record....
    )
  • Genus Ardea
    Ardea (genus)

    Ardea is a genus of herons. Carolus Linnaeus named this genus as the Great Herons, referring to the generally large size of these birds, typically 80-100 cm or more in length...
     - typical herons (11-17 species)
  • Genus Syrigma - Whistling Heron
  • Genus Egretta
    Egretta

    Egretta is a genus of medium-sized herons, mostly breeding in warmer climates. Representatives of this family are found in most of the world, and the Little Egret, as well as being widespread throughout much of the Old World, has now started to colonise the Americas....
     - typical egrets (7-13 species)
  • Genus undetermined
    • Easter Island Heron, Ardeidae gen. et sp. indet. (prehistoric
      Late Quaternary prehistoric birds

      Prehistoric birds are various taxon of birds that became extinct before recorded history, or more precisely, before they could be studied alive by ornithologys....
      )


Fossil herons of unresolved affiliations:

  • Calcardea (Paleocene)
  • Xenerodiops (Early Oligocene of Fayyum, Egypt)
  • "Anas" basaltica (Late Oligocene of "Warnsdorf", Czechia)
  • Ardeagradis
  • Proardeola - possibly same as Proardea


Other prehistoric and fossil species are included in the respective genus accounts.

Footnotes


External links


  • on the Internet Bird Collection