Skip to content

Identify a bird

Field guide

All birds A–Z638 species with photos and facts
Birds in 3DNewTurn them, and see them life-size
FamiliesOwls, finches, hawks and eagles…
State birdsOne for every US state
RecordsBiggest, fastest, longest-lived

Popular families

Ducks, geese and swans
Hawks and eagles
Owls
Woodpeckers
Finches

Tell them apartKestrel or Sparrowhawk? Watch how it huntsOur most-read comparison this month

Read

All articles574 guides and answers
Tell them apartLook-alikes, side by side
Male, female and youngHow to tell them apart
What birds eatDiet guides, bird by bird
Collective nounsA parliament, a murmuration…
Bird factsA new fact every day

Reference

Bird behaviour
Anatomy and physiology
All reference guides

Most readWhy is a group of ravens called an unkindness?The story behind the name

Birds near you

Birds near me this weekType a town or postcode
Birds in the UKEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Birds in the USEvery state
Birds in Canada
All countries

Popular places

London
Cornwall
East Sussex
Cumbria

Home
Families
Herons & Egrets

Ardeidae · 12 species

Herons & Egrets

American Bittern bird photograph

Birds in this family

12 species

American BitternBotaurus lentiginosusHerons & Egrets
Black-crowned Night-heronNycticorax nycticoraxHerons & Egrets
Cattle EgretArdea ibisHerons & Egrets
Cocoi HeronArdea cocoiHerons & Egrets
Eurasian BitternBotaurus stellarisHerons & Egrets
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasHerons & Egrets
Great White EgretArdea albaHerons & Egrets
Grey HeronArdea cinereaHerons & Egrets
Little BitternIxobrychus minutusHerons & Egrets
Little EgretEgretta garzettaHerons & Egrets
Purple HeronArdea purpureaHerons & Egrets
Squacco HeronArdeola ralloidesHerons & Egrets

Where to see herons & egrets

Portugal10
Austria9
Azerbaijan9
Croatia9
Cyprus9
Czechia9
Egypt9
France9
Germany9
Greece9
Hungary9
Iran9
Italy9
Jordan9
Kazakhstan9
Mozambique9
Netherlands9
Poland9
Romania9
Russia9
Slovakia9
Spain9
Switzerland9
Turkey9
Ukraine9
Zambia9
Albania8
Algeria8
Bahrain8
Botswana8

Find out what bird it is. Then get to know it.

Cited by National Geographic, Nature, The Guardian and Audubon.

One letter a month

What to look for in your garden this month. No adverts, unsubscribe in one tap.

Website

Email address

Postcode or town, for the birds in your area (optional)

Identify

Identify a bird from a photo
Get the Birdfact app
Tell them apart

Birds

All birds A–Z
Families
Birds in the UK
Birds in the US
Birds in 3D
Birds near me
State birds
Records

Learn

All articles
Male, female and young
What birds eat
Collective nouns
Bird behaviour
Anatomy

Birdfact

About us
How we write and check
Sources
Contact
Newsletter

Privacy Terms Cookies Cookie choices Accessibility Do not sell or share my personal information

© 2026 NC Digital Limited, trading as Birdfact · Registered in England and Wales, company 16413452 · 5 Canon Court, Institute St, Bolton BL1 1PZ