Ardeinae is a subfamily of

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychus ...

s, which includes the

day heron A day is the time period of a full rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours, 1440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds. In everyday life, the word "day" often refers to a solar day, which is the length between two s ...

s, night herons, and

egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...

Taxonomy

* Genus ''

Zeltornis ''Zeltornis'' ("Zelten bird") 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 (6 ft 8 in) tall and weighing a ...

'' (

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

, Early Miocene of Djebel Zelten, Libya) * Genus ''

Nycticorax ''Nycticorax'' is a genus of night herons. The name ''Nycticorax'' means "night raven" and derives from the Ancient Greek νύκτος, ''nuktos'' "night" and κοραξ, ''korax'', "raven". It refers to the largely nocturnal feeding habits of ...

'' – typical night herons (two living species, four recently extinct; sometimes includes ''Nyctanassa'') * Genus ''

Nyctanassa ''Nyctanassa'' is a genus of night herons from the Americas, especially (but not exclusively) warmer coastal regions. They were formerly included in the genus ''Nycticorax'', but today all major authorities recognize them as different. The nam ...

'' – American night herons (one living species, one recently extinct) * Genus ''

Gorsachius ''Gorsachius'' is a genus of Old World night herons typically found near water in forested regions. These are medium-sized herons which are migratory in the colder parts of their ranges, but otherwise resident. They are the least known, most st ...

'' – Asian and African night herons (four species) * Genus ''

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 (''Butorides sundevalli''), and the striated heron, ''Butorides striatus''. A fossil ...

'' – green-backed herons (three species; sometimes included in ''Ardea'') * Genus ''

Agamia The agami heron (''Agamia agami'') is a medium-sized heron. It is a resident breeding bird from Central America south to Peru and Brazil. It is sometimes known as the chestnut-bellied heron, and is the only member of the genus ''Agamia''. In Br ...

'' – Agami heron * Genus ''

Pilherodius The capped heron (''Pilherodius pileatus'') is a water bird endemic to the neotropics, inhabiting rainforest from the center of Panama to the south of Brazil.Ridgely, R. S., & Gwynne, J. A. (1989). ''A guide to the birds of Panama: with Costa Ric ...

'' – capped heron * Genus ''

Ardeola Pond herons (''Ardeola'') are herons, typically long with an wingspan. Most breed in the tropical Old World, but the migratory squacco heron occurs in southern Europe and the Middle East and winters in Africa. The scientific name comes from L ...

'' – pond herons (six species) * Genus ''

Bubulcus ''Bubulcus'' is a genus of herons in the family Ardeidae. The genus ''Bubulcus'' was introduced in 1855 by the French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte with the western cattle egret as the type species. The genus name is from Latin and means ...

'' – cattle egrets (one or two species, sometimes included in ''Ardea'') * Genus ''

Proardea ''Proardea'' is an extinct genus of heron, containing two species, ''Proardea amissa'' ("lost proto-heron") and ''Proardea? deschutteri'' from the Borgloon Formation of Belgium. It stood about 70 cm (2 ft 4 in) tall and was very si ...

'' (

) * Genus '' Ardea'' – typical herons (11–17 species) * Genus ''

Syrigma The whistling heron (''Syrigma sibilatrix'') is a medium-sized, often terrestrial heron of South America. There are two subspecies, the southern ''S. s. sibilatrix'' and the northern ''S. s. fostersmithi''. Description The whistling heron measu ...

'' – whistling heron * Genus ''

Egretta ''Egretta'' is a genus of medium-sized herons, mostly breeding in warmer climates. Representatives of this genus 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 ...

'' – typical egrets (7–13 species) * Genus undetermined ** Easter Island heron, Ardeidae ''gen. et sp. indet.'' (

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

)

References

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