List of heron species
# List of heron species

The International Ornithological Committee (IOC) recognizes these 72 species of herons, egrets, and bitterns in the family Ardeidae. They are distributed among 18 genera, some of which have only one species. Six extinct species are included; they are marked (X).

## List

This list is presented according to the IOC taxonomic sequence and can also be sorted alphabetically by common name and binomial.

| Common name | Binomial name | IOC sequence |
| - | - | - |
| Forest bittern | Zonerodius heliosylus | 1 |
| White-crested tiger heron | Tigriornis leucolopha | 2 |
| Rufescent tiger heron | Tigrisoma lineatum | 3 |
| Fasciated tiger heron | Tigrisoma fasciatum | 4 |
| Bare-throated tiger heron | Tigrisoma mexicanum | 5 |
| Agami heron | Agamia agami | 6 |
| Boat-billed heron | Cochlearius cochlearius | 7 |
| Zigzag heron | Zebrilus undulatus | 8 |
| Eurasian bittern | Botaurus stellaris | 9 |
| Australasian bittern | Botaurus poiciloptilus | 10 |
| American bittern | Botaurus lentiginosus | 11 |
| Pinnated bittern | Botaurus pinnatus | 12 |
| Stripe-backed bittern | Ixobrychus involucris | 13 |
| Least bittern | Ixobrychus exilis | 14 |
| Little bittern | Ixobrychus minutus | 15 |
| Black-backed bittern | Ixobrychus dubius | 16 |
| New Zealand bittern (X) | Ixobrychus novaezelandiae | 17 |
| Yellow bittern | Ixobrychus sinensis | 18 |
| Von Schrenck's bittern | Ixobrychus eurhythmus | 19 |
| Cinnamon bittern | Ixobrychus cinnamomeus | 20 |
| Dwarf bittern | Ixobrychus sturmii | 21 |
| Black bittern | Ixobrychus flavicollis | 22 |
| White-eared night heron | Gorsachius magnificus | 23 |
| Japanese night heron | Gorsachius goisagi | 24 |
| Malayan night heron | Gorsachius melanolophus | 25 |
| White-backed night heron | Gorsachius leuconotus | 26 |
| Black-crowned night heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | 27 |
| Ascension night heron (X) | Nycticorax olsoni | 28 |
| Reunion night heron (X) | Nycticorax duboisi | 29 |
| Mauritius night heron (X) | Nycticorax mauritianus | 30 |
| Rodrigues night heron (X) | Nycticorax megacephalus | 31 |
| Nankeen night heron | Nycticorax caledonicus | 32 |
| Yellow-crowned night heron | Nyctanassa violacea | 33 |
| Bermuda night heron (X) | Nyctanassa carcinocatactes | 34 |
| Green heron | Butorides virescens | 35 |
| Lava heron | Butorides sundevalli | 36 |
| Striated heron | Butorides striata | 37 |
| Squacco heron | Ardeola ralloides | 38 |
| Indian pond heron | Ardeola grayii | 39 |
| Chinese pond heron | Ardeola bacchus | 40 |
| Javan pond heron | Ardeola speciosa | 41 |
| Malagasy pond heron | Ardeola idae | 42 |
| Rufous-bellied heron | Ardeola rufiventris | 43 |
| Western cattle egret | Bubulcus ibis | 44 |
| Eastern cattle egret | Bubulcus coromandus | 45 |
| Grey heron | Ardea cinerea | 46 |
| Great blue heron | Ardea herodias | 47 |
| Cocoi heron | Ardea cocoi | 48 |
| White-necked heron | Ardea pacifica | 49 |
| Black-headed heron | Ardea melanocephala | 50 |
| Humblot's heron | Ardea humbloti | 51 |
| White-bellied heron | Ardea insignis | 52 |
| Great-billed heron | Ardea sumatrana | 53 |
| Goliath heron | Ardea goliath | 54 |
| Purple heron | Ardea purpurea | 55 |
| Great egret | Ardea alba | 56 |
| Intermediate egret | Ardea intermedia | 57 |
| Capped heron | Pilherodius pileatus | 58 |
| Whistling heron | Syrigma sibilatrix | 59 |
| Pied heron | Egretta picata | 60 |
| White-faced heron | Egretta novaehollandiae | 61 |
| Reddish egret | Egretta rufescens | 62 |
| Black heron | Egretta ardesiaca | 63 |
| Slaty egret | Egretta vinaceigula | 64 |
| Tricolored heron | Egretta tricolor | 65 |
| Little blue heron | Egretta caerulea | 66 |
| Snowy egret | Egretta thula | 67 |
| Little egret | Egretta garzetta | 68 |
| Western reef heron | Egretta gularis | 69 |
| Dimorphic egret | Egretta dimorpha | 70 |
| Pacific reef heron | Egretta sacra | 71 |
| Chinese egret | Egretta eulophotes | 72 |
