10 Colorful Species of Egret And Herons of India

The herons and egret bird species belong to same family of Ardeidae also the bitterns. Egrets are herons with white plumage, medium- to large in size and also have different colour morphs varies geographically.

Indian Pond Heron

Indian_Pond_heron

Indian pond heron is the most common species of heron found in the Indian subcontinent, are very common in and around Indian cities. The small heron has an excellent way of camouflage, usually feed on fish and amphibians at the edge of ponds and marshy wetlands.

Pond_Heron_India

Purple Heron

Purple_Heron_Bird

The purple heron wading bird is very much similar in appearance to grey heron by size and shape but has beautiful plumage. Purple herons are large inhabits marshes, lagoons, lakes and mangrove swamps from the Indian Subcontinent to Africa and Asia.

Grey Heron

Grey_Heron_Flight

The grey heron is resident of the Indian Subcontinent and can be seen around lakes and backwaters of dam, rivers and marshes. Grey herons are also very large birds with powerful beaks and feeds on fish, amphibians, small mammals like other wading bird of storks and cranes.

Grey_Heron_Bird

Night Heron

night_heron

The black-crowned night heron also known as just night heron, Is a bird of both fresh and salt-water wetlands of India. Night Heron heron is a migratory bird in some part of its range, active mainly at night or early morning.

Western Reef Heron/Western Reef Egret

Western_Reef_Heron

Western reef heron is also called western reef egret, mainly found around the coastal distribution of India and occurs in two plumage variation. The medium-sized heron breeds along the coast of India and also occurs in the Islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman.

Little Egret

Little_Egret

The little egret species is a white bird with black beak, always found feeding on small creatures in shallow water. Little egret seen in small flocks, breeds colonially and habitat varies from coastal, shores of lakes and mangrove.

Intermediate Egret

Intermediate_Egret

Intermediate egret or median egret is a resident breeder of the Indian subcontinent, in size between the great and little egret. The egret with long neck and large body is a medium-sized heron, entirely white in color yellow beak.

Great Egret

Large_Great Egret

The great egret also known as great white heron is distributed across most of the Indian Subcontinent, also found in various parts of the world. Great egret are large heron with white plumage and yellow beak, partially migratory and breeds close to large lakes.

Cattle Egret

Cattle_Egret

The cattle egret is closely related to the heron species, feeding on insect and small vertebrate walking around cattle grasslands, farmlands, and rice paddies. Cattle egret species has a large range and some populations are migratory, have been seen flying at morning and evening with flocks of Indian pond herons.

Cattle_Egret_India

Yellow Bittern

The yellow bittern is mainly a resident of the Indian Subcontinent, feed on insects, fish and amphibians. Yellow bittern is a small species from family Ardeidae, pale orangish brown or yellow in color and always found around the wetlands and reedbeds.

Striated heron

Cinnamon Bittern

Cinnamon_bittern

Black bittern is another lesser known large species of bittern found in India, feed on insects, fish and amphibians.

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