| Basic info | Taxonomic history | Classification | Included Taxa |
| Morphology | Ecology and taphonomy | External Literature Search | Age range and collections |
Ardeidae (heron)
Taxonomy
Ardeidae was named by Leach (1820). It is extant. Its type is Ardea.
It was assigned to Ardeoidea by Hay (1902); to Ardeoidae by Hay (1930); to Ardeae by Lambrecht (1933), Wetmore (1940), Wetmore (1956) and Brunet (1970); to Gruiformes by Carroll (1988); to Ardeiformes by Mlikovsky (2002) and Livezey and Zusi (2007); to Ciconiiformes by Brodkorb (1955), Alvarez (1977), Rasmussen et al. (1987), Emslie (1992), Guthrie (1992), Olson and Rasmussen (2001), Mayr (2005) and Scofield et al. (2010); to Aequornithes by Mayr (2011); to Pelecaniformes by Louchart et al. (2008), del Hoyo et al. (2014), Clements et al. (2017) and Steadman and Takano (2019); and to Pelecaniformes by Mayr (2022).
It was assigned to Ardeoidea by Hay (1902); to Ardeoidae by Hay (1930); to Ardeae by Lambrecht (1933), Wetmore (1940), Wetmore (1956) and Brunet (1970); to Gruiformes by Carroll (1988); to Ardeiformes by Mlikovsky (2002) and Livezey and Zusi (2007); to Ciconiiformes by Brodkorb (1955), Alvarez (1977), Rasmussen et al. (1987), Emslie (1992), Guthrie (1992), Olson and Rasmussen (2001), Mayr (2005) and Scofield et al. (2010); to Aequornithes by Mayr (2011); to Pelecaniformes by Louchart et al. (2008), del Hoyo et al. (2014), Clements et al. (2017) and Steadman and Takano (2019); and to Pelecaniformes by Mayr (2022).
Subtaxa
Agamia, Ardea (syn. Herodias, Casmerodius) (type genus), Ardeacites, Ardeagrandis, Ardeinae, Botaurinae, Botaurites, Botaurus, Bubulcus, Butorides, Cochlearius, Egretta (syn. Hydranassa, Florida, Leucophoyx), Ixobrychus, Matuku, Nyctanassa, Nycticorax, Palaeophoyx, Pilherodius, Syrigma, Taphophoyx, Zeltornis
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1820 | Ardeidae Leach |
| 1902 | Ardeidae Hay p. 531 |
| 1930 | Ardeidae Hay p. 294 |
| 1933 | Ardeidae Lambrecht p. 310 |
| 1940 | Ardeidae Wetmore p. 14 |
| 1955 | Ardeidae Brodkorb p. 15 |
| 1956 | Ardeidae Wetmore p. 18 |
| 1970 | Ardeidae Brunet p. 16 |
| 1977 | Ardeidae Alvarez p. 214 |
| 1987 | Ardeidae Rasmussen et al. p. 13 |
| 1988 | Ardeidae Carroll |
| 1992 | Ardeidae Emslie p. 252 |
| 1992 | Ardeidae Guthrie p. 321 |
| 2001 | Ardeidae Olson and Rasmussen p. 295 |
| 2002 | Ardeidae Mlikovsky p. 67 |
| 2005 | Ardeidae Mayr p. 318 |
| 2007 | Ardeidae Livezey and Zusi p. 91 |
| 2008 | Ardeidae Louchart et al. p. 156 |
| 2010 | Ardeidae Scofield et al. |
| 2011 | Ardeidae Mayr p. 73 figs. Figure 5 |
| 2014 | Ardeidae del Hoyo et al. |
| 2017 | Ardeidae Clements et al. |
| 2019 | Ardeidae Steadman and Takano |
| 2022 | Ardeidae Mayr p. 119 figs. Fig. 7.1 |
Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data
|
|
If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
Fm. Ardeidae Leach 1820 [heron]
show all | hide all
G. Ardea Linnaeus 1758 [heron]
+
Ardea alba Linnaeus 1758 [great egret]
Ardea alba egretta Gmelin 1789
†Ardea aurelianensis Milne-Edwards 1871
Ardea brachyrhyncha Brehm 1854 [Yellow-billed egret]
†Ardea brunhuberi von Ammon 1911
Ardea cinerea Linnaeus 1758 [gray heron]
Ardea cocoi Linnaeus 1766 [cocoi heron]
†Ardea effosa von Meyer 1843
†Ardea formosa Milne-Edwards 1871
Ardea goliath Cretzschmar 1827 [Goliath heron]
Ardea herodias Linnaeus 1758 [great blue heron]
Ardea humbloti Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1885 [Humblot's heron]
Ardea insignis Hume 1878 [White-bellied heron]
Ardea intermedia Wagler 1829 [intermediate egret]
†Ardea latipes von Meyer 1843
†Ardea lignitum Gibel 1860
Ardea melanocephala Vigors and Children 1826 [Black-headed heron]
Ardea modesta Gray 1831
Ardea pacifica Latham 1801 [White-necked heron]
†Ardea paloccidentalis Shufeldt 1891
†Ardea piveteaui Brunet 1970
Ardea plumifera Gould 1848 [Plumed egret]
†Ardea polkensis Brodkorb 1955
Ardea purpurea Linnaeus 1766 [purple heron]
Ardea sumatrana Raffles 1822 [Great-billed heron]
Invalid names: Casmerodius Gloger 1842 [synonym], Herodias Boie 1822 [synonym]
Subfm. Ardeinae
+
G. †Proardea Lambrecht 1933
+
†Proardea amissa Milne-Edwards 1892
†Proardea deschutteri Mayr et al. 2019
Invalid names: Ardeini Bock 1956 [empty], Nycticoracini Bonaparte 1854 [empty]
Subfm. Botaurinae Reichenbach 1850
+
Tr. Tigriornithini Bock 1956
+
G. Tigrisoma Swainson 1827
+
Tigrisoma lineatum Boddaert 1783 [Rufescent tiger-heron]
Tigrisoma mexicanum Swainson 1834 [bare-throated tiger-heron]
Invalid names: Botaurini [empty]
G. Botaurus Stephens 1819
+
Botaurus lentiginosus Rackett 1813 [American bittern]
Botaurus pinnatus Wagler 1829 [Pinnated bittern]
Botaurus poiciloptilus Wagler 1827 [Australasian bittern]
Botaurus stellaris Linnaeus 1758 [great bittern]
G. Butorides Blyth 1852
+
Butorides striata Linnaeus 1758 [striated heron]
†Butorides validipes Campbell 1976
Butorides virescens Linnaeus 1758 [green heron]
G. Egretta Forster 1817 [egret]
+
Egretta caerulea Linnaeus 1758 [little blue heron]
Egretta garzetta Linnaeus 1766 [little egret]
Egretta garzetta dimorpha Hartert 1914 [dimorphic egret]
Egretta novaehollandiae Latham 1790 [White-faced heron]
Egretta picata Gould 1845 [pied heron]
Egretta sacra Gmelin 1789 [Pacific reef-heron]
†Egretta subfluvia Becker 1985
Egretta thula Molina 1782 [snowy egret]
Egretta tricolor Statius Muller 1776 [tricolor heron]
Invalid names: Florida Baird 1858 [synonym], Hydranassa Baird 1858 [synonym], Leucophoyx Sharpe 1894 [synonym]
G. Ixobrychus Billberg 1828 [Least bittern]
+
Ixobrychus cinnamomeus Gmelin 1789 [Cinnamon bittern]
Ixobrychus dubius Matthews 1912 [Australian little bittern]
Ixobrychus eurhythmus Swinhoe 1873 [Schrenck's bittern]
Ixobrychus exilis Gmelin 1789 [least bittern]
Ixobrychus flavicollis Latham 1790 [Black bittern]
Ixobrychus involucris Vieillot 1823 [Stripe-backed bittern]
Ixobrychus minutus Linnaeus 1766 [Common little bittern]
Ixobrychus novaezelandiae Potts 1871 [New Zealand little bittern]
Ixobrychus sinensis Gmelin 1789 [Yellow bittern]
Ixobrychus sturmii Wagler 1827 [Dwarf bittern]
G. Nyctanassa Stejneger 1887
+
†Nyctanassa carcinocatactes Olson and Wingate 2006 [Bermuda night heron]
Nyctanassa violacea Linnaeus 1758 [yellow-crowned night heron]
+
Invalid names: Larus vero Shufeldt 1917 [synonym]
G. Nycticorax Forster 1817 [night heron]
+
Nycticorax caledonicus Gmelin 1789 [rufous night-heron]
†Nycticorax duboisi Rothschild 1907 [Réunion night heron]
+
Invalid names: Nycticorax borbonensis Cowles 1994 [synonym]
†Nycticorax fidens Brodkorb 1963
†Nycticorax kalavikai Steadman et al. 2000 [Niue night heron]
†Nycticorax mauritianus Newton and Gadow 1893 [Mauritius night heron]
†Nycticorax megacephalus Milne-Edwards 1874 [Rodrigues night heron]
Nycticorax nycticorax Linnaeus 1758 [black-crowned night heron]
†Nycticorax olsoni Bourne et al. 2003 [Ascension night heron]
G. Syrigma Ridgway 1824 [whistling heron]
+
†Syrigma sanctimartini Campbell 1979
Syrigma sibilatrix Temminck 1824 [Whistling heron]
G. †Zeltornis Balouet 1981
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
| Source: f = family, o = order | |||||
| References: Marsh 1875, Thiollay 1994 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Priabonian to the top of the Holocene or 38.00000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 37.71 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 37.71 Ma
Collections (152 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Eocene | USA (Wyoming) | Botauroides parvus (81457) Eoceornis ardetta (81455) | |
| Middle Eocene - Late/Upper Eocene | Chile | Ardeidae indet. (99479) | |
| Priabonian | France (Ile-de-France) | Ardea piveteaui (177531) | |
| Early/Lower Oligocene | Belgium | Proardea deschutteri (31748) | |
| Rupelian | Egypt (Fayum) | Nycticorax sp. (12960) | |
| Aquitanian | France (Auvergne) | Proardeola walkeri (125333) | |
| Burdigalian - Langhian | Thailand | Proardeola walkeri (48126) | |
| Altonian | New Zealand (South Island) | Matuku otagoense (73690 153884) Matuku otagoense, Pikaihao bartlei (175632) | |
| Early/Lower Barstovian | USA (Nebraska) | Ardea sp. (17976) | |
| Langhian | Kenya | Ardeidae indet. (22070 22082) | |
| Middle Miocene | Saudi Arabia | Ardeidae indet. (47098) | |
| Serravallian | Moldova (Chișinău) | Ardea grandis (210590) | |
| Late/Upper Clarendonian | USA (Florida) | Egretta sp., Ardeola sp., Ardeidae indet. (18554) | |
| Tortonian | USA (Florida) | Ardea polkensis (122351) | |
| Tortonian - Messinian | Kenya | Ardeidae indet. (22241) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Ethiopia | Ardea sp. (192304) Ardeidae indet. (192301) | |
| Hemphillian | USA (Florida) | Ardea polkensis, Egretta sp. (18577) Egretta subfluvia (18601) Nycticorax fidens (18560) Taphophoyx hodgei (200705) | |
| Hemphillian | USA (California) | Ardea sp. (19446) | |
| Late/Upper Hemphillian | USA (Florida) | Ardea polkensis (18573) | |
| Messinian | Chad | Ardea sp. (192292) | |
| Messinian - Zanclean | Kenya | Ardeidae indet. (22242) | |
| Zanclean | Australia (Queensland) | Ardea picata (182159) | |
| Zanclean | Chad | Ardea sp. (209295) | |
| Zanclean | USA (North Carolina) | Ardea cinerea (52582) | |
| Blancan | USA (Kansas) | Botaurus hibbardi, Egretta sp. (19940) Egretta sp. (19925 19936) | |
| Blancan | USA (Florida) | Ardea sp., Botaurus sp., Egretta sp., Nyctanassa violacea, Ixobrychus exilis, Botaurus lentiginosus (19753) Egretta sp., Butorides validipes, Casmerodius albus (19752) | |
| Piacenzian | USA (Florida) | Egretta sp. (22712) | |
| Gelasian | USA (Florida) | Ardea sp., Ixobrychus exilis, Botaurus lentiginosus (20384) | |
| Pleistocene | United Kingdom (England) | Ardea cinerea (125444) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Ardea herodias (227368) | |
| Pleistocene | Egypt | Ardea cinerea (21886 21888) | |
| Pleistocene | Mexico (Jalisco) | Tigrisoma sp. (169983) | |
| Pleistocene | Egypt (Kom Ombo Plain) | Ardea cinerea (22508 22513 22544 22545) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Florida) | Ardea sp. (58089) Butorides virescens (20308) Casmerodius albus, Egretta tricolor (20400) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | Greece | Nycticorax nycticorax (199938) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | Italy | Egretta garzetta (197786) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Ardea herodias, Nyctanassa violacea (195048) Nyctanassa violacea (195049) | |
| Middle Pleistocene - Holocene | Bermuda | Nyctanassa carcinocatactes (194467) | |
| Rancholabrean | Mexico (Sonora) | Ardea herodias, Ardea alba (20495) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (Florida) | Ixobrychus exilis (20398) | |
| Rancholabrean - Holocene | USA (California) | Ardea herodias (84904) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Jordan | Ardeidae indet., Ardea sp., Ardeola sp. (197945) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial) | Venezuela (Zulia) | Ardeidae indet., Tigrisoma sp. (63515) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Ardea herodias, Nyctanassa violacea, Casmerodius albus (74292) Ardea herodias, Palaeophoyx columbiana, Butorides virescens, Casmerodius albus, Nycticorax nycticorax (154773) Ardeidae indet., Ardea sp., Larus vero, Ardea herodias, Herodias egretta (34269) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Bahamas (Great Abaco Island) | Nyctanassa violacea (144663) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Idaho) | Ardea herodias (20569) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Mexico (Jalisco) | Ardea herodias (192628) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Bermuda | Nyctanassa carcinocatactes (194449) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Japan (Okinawa) | Ardeidae indet., Nycticorax caledonicus (192971) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial) | USA (Florida) | Ardea herodias, Butorides virescens (154722) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Virginia) | Botaurus lentiginosus (103991) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Seychelles (Aldabra) | Ardeola sp. (192430) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Congo-Kinshasa | Egretta alba (22066) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Ecuador | Nycticorax nycticorax (152599) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (California) | Ardea herodias (125234) Ardea herodias, Butorides virescens, Casmerodius albus, Egretta thula, Florida caerulea (190077) Ardea herodias, Nycticorax nycticorax (44954) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Florida) | Ardea herodias, Botaurus lentiginosus, Casmerodius albus, Nycticorax nycticorax (20636) Ardea herodias, Egretta thula, Nycticorax nycticorax (20581) Butorides virescens, Botaurus lentiginosus, Leucophoyx thula (20595) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Egypt | Ardea cinerea, Nycticorax nycticorax, Bubulcus ibis (208788) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Madagascar | Ardea alba (204645 204646) Ardea intermedia (195021) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Peru | Syrigma sanctimartini, Casmerodius albus, Egretta thula, Egretta caerulea, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ardea cocoi (71346) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial) | USA (Florida) | Ardea herodias (154921) Ardea herodias, Nyctanassa violacea, Butorides virescens, Botaurus lentiginosus, Casmerodius albus, Hydranassa tricolor, Florida caerulea (154771) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Oregon) | Ardea herodias, Botaurus lentiginosus (93251) Ardea paloccidentalis (176222) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Chile (O'Higgins) | Ardea alba (71280) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Tonga | Nycticorax n. sp. (194698) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Bahamas (New Providence Island) | Egretta caerulea (194588) Nyctanassa violacea (144649) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Cayman Islands | Nycticorax violaceus (209852) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Papua New Guinea | Nycticorax caledonicus, Egretta sacra (194695) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Cuba | Tigrisoma mexicanum (194488) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Bahamas (San Salvador) | Ixobrychus exilis, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ardeola virescens (190743) | |
| Holocene | Bahamas (Great Abaco Island) | Nyctanassa violacea (144662) | |
| Holocene | Saint Helena | Nycticorax olsoni (194266) Nycticorax sp. (194278) | |
| Holocene | Mauritius | Ardea garzetta (194024) Ardea megacephala (194075) Butorides mauritianus, Egretta dimorpha (194025) Butorides striatus (194165) Nycticorax megacephalus (194026 194031 194074) | |
| Holocene | Portugal | Ixobrychus minutus (215367) | |
| Holocene | Niue | Nycticorax n. sp. (193850) | |
| Holocene | Canada (Quebec) | Ardeidae indet., Ardea herodias (224189) | |
| Holocene | French Polynesia (Society Islands) | Egretta sacra, Ardeola striata (215325) | |
| Holocene | USA (Maine) | Ardea herodias (176524) | |
| Holocene | Marshall Islands | Egretta sacra (194995) | |
| Holocene | Mexico (Chiapas) | Egretta sp., Nyctanassa violacea, Ardea alba, Butorides virescens, Tigrisoma mexicanum (195047) | |
| Holocene | Bermuda | Nyctanassa carcinocatactes (94307 194445 194466) | |
| Holocene | Reunion | Nycticorax borbonensis (193993) Nycticorax duboisi (193994 193996) | |
| Holocene | French Polynesia | Egretta sacra (198011) Egretta sacra, Ardeola striata (194675) | |
| Holocene | New Zealand | Egretta alba (194618) | |
| Holocene | Ecuador (Galapagos) | Ardeidae indet., Nyctanassa violacea (190846) Nyctanassa violacea (190844) | |
| Holocene | Cook Islands | Egretta sacra (193453) | |
| Holocene | Spain | Bubulcus ibis (215372) | |
| Holocene | United Kingdom (England) | Nycticorax nycticorax (125446) | |
| Holocene | Madagascar | Ardea cinerea, Ardea purpurea, Ardea humbloti (195019) | |
| Holocene | American Samoa | Egretta sacra (193800) | |
| Holocene | Tonga (Vava'u) | Ardea modesta (208863) | |
| Holocene | Vanuatu (Efate) | Ardea alba (185434) | |
| Holocene | Brazil | Pilherodius pileatus (215371) Syrigma sibilatrix (215373) | |
| Holocene | Northern Mariana Islands | Egretta sacra (194622 194623 194648) | |
| Holocene | Venezuela | Ardea herodias (197935) | |
| Holocene | USA (California) | Ardea herodias (194905 194909 194910 194912 194913 194925 194926 194927 194928) Ardeidae indet. (194914) Botaurus lentiginosus (194911) | |
| Holocene | Mexico | Agamia agami (215370) | |
| Holocene | Ecuador | Cochlearius cochlearius (215360) | |
| Holocene | United Kingdom | Botaurus stellaris (125443) |