Ardeidae

Egrets and herons belong to this category of large wading birds. There are also great variations within the group. These birds spend much of their time motionless beside rivers and in wetlands gazing into the shallow waters hoping to spot something tasty. Big or small makes no difference to these birds and everything is swallowed whole. On occasions a large fish can be a challenge but usually their long thin necks will expand to allow larger prey to be digested. Click on thumbnails for larger image