Herons, Egrets And Allies

This group gathers Birds subcategory members that hunt fish, amphibians and other small prey while wading through shallow water on long legs, spanning several related orders united by that shared hunting style. It includes the herons, egrets and bitterns, which typically strike prey with a rapid, spear-like thrust of a long, straight bill, often standing motionless for long stretches before attacking; the storks, including the jabiru and the openbill, large long-legged birds that soar on thermals like raptors despite feeding much like herons; the ibises and the spoonbill, distinguished respectively by a long, downward-curving bill used to probe mud and a broad, flattened bill swept side to side through shallow water; and the shoebill, an enormous, stork-billed African hunter capable of taking prey as large as small crocodiles, placed here alongside its nearest relatives despite a long history of taxonomic uncertainty over exactly where it belongs on the bird family tree.