Your Florida Backyard NSiS Home Page Your Florida Backyard Herons, Bitterns
Photographs on this page courtesy of SFWMD
 
 
The Least Bittern usually inhabits freshwater marshes in central and south Florida where it nests in low vegetation above the water or at the water's edge. It hunts by standing still or clinging to emergent vegetation and then quickly stabbing its prey.
 
great egret Cattle Egrets are often found in pastures where they feed on insects disturbed by cattle and other animals. They nest in tall shrubs and roost communally.
 
Cattle Egrets, native to Africa, expanded their range to South America in the late 1800's and to Florida in the early 1950's. There is some concern that they are competing with herons and egrets at northern breeding grounds.
 
Great and Snowy Egrets inhabit both fresh- and saltwater areas, while Reddish Egrets are found in areas with brackish or saltwater, usually coastal islands. All usually nest in shrubs.
 
Great and Snowy Egrets usually forage in shallow water but may also forage in fields. Reddish Egrets may put on quite a show while foraging. They sometimes spread their wings, creating shaded areas on the water to attract fish. Usually they run through the water, head tilted to the side, leaping sideways and suddenly changing direction.
 
The Herons are all found in both fresh- and saltwater habitats where they hunt by standing still and stabbing prey. Some consider the Great White to be a white morph of the Great Blue.
 
great blue heron    little blue heron    green heron
The Green (Green-backed) Heron may be found in urban areas. The Green, Little Blue, and Tricolored Herons usually nest near or over water in tall shrubs. Great Blue and Great White Herons often nest in tall trees.
 
The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, despite its name, often feeds during the day. It usually roosts in tall trees during the day. It also nests in tall trees sometimes in urban areas.
 
The Litte Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Reddish Egret, and Snowy Egret are all species of special concern due to low populations numbers. The Herons are threatened by the draining of wetlands. The Egret populations fell to near zero around the turn-of-the-century due to plume hunting. Since then, habitat damage and destruction has threatened the birds.

 
name area season diet/native food plants
Least BitternN
CS
SpSu-B
SpSuFW-B
fish*, aquatic invertebrates, insects
Cattle Egret
photo
N
CS
SpSu-B
SpSuFW-B
insects*, reptiles, amphibians
Great EgretNCSSpSuFW-Baquatic invertebrates*, fish, insects
Reddish EgretNCSSpSuFW-Bfish*, aquatic invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians
Snowy Egret
photo
NCSSpSuFW-Baquatic invertebrates*, fish, insects
Great Blue HeronNCSSpSuFW-Bfish*, aquatic invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians
Great White HeronSSpSuFW-Bfish*, aquatic invertebrates
Green HeronN
CS
SpSu-B
SpSuFW-B
fish*, aquatic invertebrates, insects
Little Blue HeronNCSSpSuFW-Bfish*, amphibians, aquatic invertebrates, insects
Tricolored Heron
photo
NCSSpSuFW-Bfish*, amphibians, aquatic invertebrates
Yellow-crowned
   Night-Heron
NCSSpSuFW-Baquatic invertebrates*, fish, insects
N=north  C=central  S=south
Sp=spring  Su=summer  F=fall  W=winter
B=breeds in Florida during season(s) underlined  M=Migrant

 
 
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