These 72 species of heron, egret, and bittern are recognised by the International Ornithological Committee (IOC) as belonging to the Ardeidae family. Their 18 genera, some of which contain just one species, are spread among them. There are five extinct species listed; they are noted (X).
A
Agami heron – (Agamia agami)
American bittern – (Botaurus lentiginosus)
Ascension night heron (Nycticorax olsoni) (X)
Australasian bittern (Botaurus poiciloptilus)
B
Bare-throated tiger heron – (Tigrisoma mexicanum)
Bermuda night heron – (Nyctanassa carcinocatactes) (X)
Black bittern – (Ixobrychus flavicollis)
Black heron – (Egretta ardesiaca)
Black-backed bittern – (Ixobrychus dubious)
Black-crowned night heron – (Nycticorax nycticorax)
Black-headed heron – (Ardea melanocephala)
Boat-billed heron – (Cochlearius cochlearius)
C
Capped heron – (Pilherodius pileatus)
Chinese egret – (Egretta eulophotes)
Chinese pond heron – (Ardeola bacchus)
Cinnamon bittern – (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus)
Cocoi heron – (Ardea cocoi)
D
Dimorphic egret – (Egretta dimorpha)
Dwarf bittern – (Ixobrychus sturmii)
E
Eastern cattle egret – (Bubulcus coromandus)
Eurasian bittern – (Botaurus stellaris)
F
Fasciated tiger heron – (Tigrisoma fasciatum)
Forest bittern – (Zonerodius heliosylus)
G
Goliath heron – (Ardea goliath)
Great blue heron – (Ardea herodias)
Great egret – (Ardea alba)
Great-billed heron – (Ardea sumatrana)
Green heron – (Butorides virescens)
Grey heron – (Ardea cinerea)
H
Humblot’s heron – (Ardea humbloti)
I
Indian pond heron – (Ardeola grayii)
Intermediate egret – (Ardea intermedia)
J
Japanese night heron – (Gorsachius goisagi)
Javan pond heron – (Ardeola speciosa)
L
Lava heron – (Butorides sundevalli)
Least bittern – (Ixobrychus exilis)
Little bittern – (Ixobrychus minutus)
Little blue heron – (Egretta caerulea)
Little egret – (Egretta garzetta)
M
Malagasy pond heron – (Ardeola idae)
Malayan night heron – (Gorsachius melanolophus)
Mauritius night heron – (Nycticorax mauritianus) (X)
N
Nankeen night heron – (Nycticorax caledonicus)
New Zealand bittern – (Ixobrychus novaezelandiae)
P
Pacific reef heron – (Egretta sacra)
Pied heron – (Egretta picata)
Pinnated bittern – (Botaurus pinnatus)
Purple heron – (Ardea purpurea)
R
Reddish egret – (Egretta rufescens)
Reunion night heron – Nycticorax duboisi) (X)
Rodrigues night heron – Nycticorax megacephalus) (X)
Rufescent tiger heron – (Tigrisoma lineatum)
Rufous-bellied heron – (Ardeola rufiventris)
S
Slaty egret – (Egretta vinaceigula)
Snowy egret – (Egretta thula)
Squacco heron – (Ardeola ralloides)
Striated heron – (Butorides striata)
Stripe-backed bittern – (Ixobrychus involucris)
T
Tricolored heron – (Egretta tricolor)
V
Von Schrenck’s bittern – (Ixobrychus eurhythmus)
W
Western cattle egret – (Bubulcus ibis)
Western reef heron – (Egretta gularis)
Whistling heron – (Syrigma sibilatrix)
White-backed night heron – (Gorsachius leuconotus)
White-bellied heron – (Ardea insignis)
White-crested tiger heron – (Tigriornis leucolopha)
White-eared night heron – (Gorsachius magnificus)
White-faced heron – (Egretta novaehollandiae)
White-necked heron – (Ardea pacifica)
Y
Yellow bittern – (Ixobrychus sinensis)
Yellow-crowned night heron – (Nyctanassa violacea)
Z
Zigzag heron – (Zebrilus undulatus)