Superfamily Ciconioidea
Family Ciconiidae
Subfamily Ciconiinae: Storks, Openbills, Adjutants, Jabiru
Subfamily Cathartinae: New World Vultures or Condors
Family ARDEIDAE:
Sheldon (1987. Auk 104:606-612) used DNA hybridization for comparisons
among most of the species of herons. The following arrangement reflects
his conclusions.
Subfamily TIGRIORNITHINAE:
Tribe TIGRIORNITHINI:
Tigrisoma mexicanum BARE-THROATED TIGER-HERON.
Marshes, swamps, mangroves, forest streams, lagoons. Lowlands from
s Sonora, s San Luis Potosí and s Tamaulipas s, incl. Cozumel and
Cancun is., to Panama, Pearl and Coiba islands and small islets; and nw
Colombia in the Gulf of Urabá region and lower Atrato Valley.
Tigrisoma fasciatum FASCIATED TIGER-HERON.
Humid forest streams. Lowlands to 1800 m from Costa Rica on the Caribbean
slope, Panama, Colombia on both sides of the Andes and n Venezuela, s through
Andes of e Ecuador, e Peru, c,e Bolivia and nw Argentina; se Brazil in
cw Mato Grosso and locally from c Goiás and Rio de Janeiro s to
Rio Grande do Sul and ne Argentina in Misiones.
Tigrisoma lineatum RUFESCENT TIGER-HERON.
Marshes in savannas, forest streams, swamps, mangroves.
T. l. lineatum Lowlands to 500 m on Caribbean slope in
e Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, and from Colombia, Venezuela,
Trinidad and Guianas s, w of Andes to sw Ecuador and e of Andes through
e Ecuador, e Peru, ne Bolivia and Amazonian Brazil s to c Mato Grosso.
T. l. marmoratum. E,s Brazil, n Uruguay, Paraguay, n,e,se
Bolivia and n Argentina s to Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos.
Tribe COCHLEARINI:
Cochlearius cochlearia BOAT-BILLED HERON.
Ponds and streams in humid forest, marshes, mangroves. From Sinaloa
and Tamaulipas s along both slopes, incl. islands off Yucatán, to
El Salvador and Caribbean Honduras; lowlands to 2600 m from Costa Rica,
Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Guianas s, w of Andes to w Ecuador
and e of Andes through e Ecuador, e Peru, n,e Bolivia and Amazonian and
e,se Brazil to e Paraguay and n Argentina from Formosa e to Misiones and
s to Entre Ríos.
Subfamily ARDEINAE:
Tribe BOTAURINI
Zonerodius heliosylus FOREST BITTERN. Swamps
and streams in forest. Lowlands to 1450 m in the Aru Is., Salawati
in the w Papuan Is., and New Guinea.
Tigriornis leucolophus WHITE-CRESTED BITTERN.
Humid forest. From Senegambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory
Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, s Cameroon, s C. African Rep. and n,ne Zaire;
from Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo s to Cabinda and sw,c,ce Zaire.
Probably a tiger-heron.
Zebrilus undulatus ZIGZAG HERON. Swamps, forest
streams and ponds. Lowlands to 500 m in e Colombia, e,s Venezuela,
Guianas, Amazonian Brazil w to Rio Madeira and s to Rondônia and
w Mato Grosso, e Ecuador, e Peru, n Bolivia and Paraguay. Relationships
unclear; resembles the bitterns.
Ixobrychus involucris STRIPE-BACKED BITTERN.
Dense rushes, marshes. Locally in lowlands to 500 m in n,e Colombia,
n Venezuela, Trinidad, Guyana and Surinam; se Bolivia, Paraguay, e Brazil,
Uruguay, c Chile and n,c Argentina s to Río Negro.
Ixobrychus minutus LITTLE BITTERN. Reedbeds,
swamps. From sc British Isles, Europe n to n Germany and Estonia,
e across c Russia to se Russia n to upper Ob River and upper Irtysh River,
s to Kazakhstan and Turkestan and w China in Sinkiang, and s to nw Africa
from n Morocco to n Tunisia, n Mediterranean region incl. Balearic Is.,
Corsica, Sicily, nw,ne Egypt, Near and Middle East, Arabia, Pakistan in
Sind and n India from Kashmir to n Assam and w China in w Sinkiang.
Locally in Mauritania, Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia,
Mali, Niger, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial
Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Príncipe, Chad, Centr. Afr. Rep., cw Sudan,
Ethiopia, Somalia and from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya s through
Tanzania, se Zaire, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana s
to e,s S. Africa in Transvaal, Orange Free State, Natal and s Cape Province,
w to Angola and Namibia; Madagascar.
Ixobrychus sinensis YELLOW BITTERN. Swamps,
marshes, reedbeds, wet fields, bamboo thickets. Lowlands to 1200
m from n Pakistan in the Indus Valley, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, c,e
China, Hainan I., se Siberia to s Sakhalin, s Kuril Is., Japan, Palau,
and the Bonin, Mariana and Caroline islands, s through se Asia, E. Indies
and Philippines to Andaman, Nicobar and Maldive islands, New Guinea (vagrant?),
Ninigo Is. and New Britain, Bougainville I. and the Seychelles Is.
Ixobrychus novaezelandiae BLACK-BACKED BITTERN.
Reedbeds, swamps. Sw W. Australia n to Murchison River; from n N.
Territory in Arnhem Land, e to n,e Queensland, s to Victoria and se S.
Australia. Often considered conspecific with minutus.
Ixobrychus exilis LEAST BITTERN. Tall vegetation
in marshes, mangroves, wet savanna. Locally from s Oregon, interior
and s coastal Calif., c Baja Calif. and s coastal Sonora s to Guerrero;
from c Montana, s Manitoba, ne N. Dakota, nw Minnesota, c Wisconsin, n
Michigan, s Ontario, s Quebec, Maine, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia s to
Utah (formerly), sc New Mexico, w,s Texas, Gulf coast, Florida, Greater
and Lesser Antilles on Guadeloupe and Marie Galante; from Guatemala and
Belize to c Panama; locally in lowlands and mts. to 3100 m in Colombia,
n Venezuela, Trinidad, Guianas, e Ecuador,e,se Brazil, n Bolivia, Paraguay,
ne Argentina and coastal Peru from La Libertad to Lima.
Ixobrychus eurhythmus SCHRENCK'S BITTERN. Swamps,
marshes, reedbeds, flooded fields. E China, Hainan I., se Siberia
to Sakhalin, Korea, Japan, and Ryukyu and Bonin islands.
Ixobrychus cinnamomeus CINNAMON BITTERN. Swamps,
marshes, reedbeds, flooded fields. Lowlands to 1800 m from n Pakistan
in the Indus Valley, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and s,e China, Hainan I.,
and s through se Asia to Maldive, Andaman and Nicobar islands, Greater
and Lesser Sunda islands on Bali and Lombok, Philippines, Taiwan and Ryukyu
Is.
Ixobrychus sturmii DWARF BITTERN. Streams
in open woods, flooded areas, reedbeds, marshes. Locally in Mauritania,
Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast,
Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo,
Chad, Sudan, sw Ethiopia, s Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, n
Tanzania, se Zaire, Malawi, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, s Mozambique, Botswana,
Namibia and ne S. Africa in Transvaal and w Natal. Ranges widely
s of the Sahara as an intra-African migrant.
Dupetor flavicollis BLACK BITTERN. Swamps,
reedbeds, wet forest, flooded bushy areas, marshes. Lowlands to 1200
m from Pakistan in Sind, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, ec,se China, Hainan I.,
and Taiwan, s through Maldive Is., se Asia, Greater Sunda Is. incl. Nias
and Belitung off Sumatra, Timor I., Philippines on Batan Is., Luzon, Mindoro,
Marinduque, Samar, Negros, Cebu, Siargao and Mindanao; Moluccas, Kai and
Aru islands, New Guinea to 2100 m and adj. islands, Bismarck Arch. and
Solomon Is. incl. Rennell I. to coastal w,n,e Australia from W. Australia
s to Perth, e to Queensland and s to se New S. Wales. May be a large
species of Ixobrychus.
Botaurus lentiginosus AMERICAN BITTERN. Marshes,
reedbeds. From se Alaska, c British Columbia, s Mackenzie, n Manitoba,
n Ontario, c Quebec and Newfoundland s to s Calif., c Arizona (formerly),
s New Mexico, n Texas, c Kansas, c Missouri, c,w Tennessee, w Kentucky,
c Ohio, s Pennsylvania, ne West Virginia, e Maryland and e Virginia; Louisiana
(formerly) and Florida; Mexico s to Puebla and México.
Botaurus pinnatus PINNATED BITTERN. Marshes,
reedbeds, wet grassland. Lowlands to 2600 m in se Mexico in Veracruz,
Tabasco, Yucatán Pen., Belize, El Salvador and Costa Rica; Colombia,
w Ecuador, Venezuela, Guianas, Trinidad, c,e Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
and n Argentina s to Córdoba and n Buenos Aires.
Botaurus stellaris GREAT BITTERN. Reedbeds,
marshes, lagoons, sluggish streams.
B. s. stellaris From s British Isles and s Scandinavia
e across nw,c Russia and c Siberia to Yakutia, Amurland, Ussuriland, Sakhalin
and Japan on Hokkaido; from n Morocco e to Tunisia, Turkey, s Russia, n
Iran, Afghanistan, w China, Mongolia and Manchuria s to Hopeh.
B. s. capensis C Angola, n Zambia, s Tanzania, Malawi,
c Mozambique, nw Botswana, ne Namibia and e,s S. Africa. Vagrant
in other African countries.
Botaurus poiciloptilus AUSTRALASIAN BITTERN. Reedbeds, swamps, lagoons, sluggish rivers. Sw W. Australia from Perth to Esperance; e,se Australia from se Queensland on Fraser I., s to Victoria, Tasmania, and w to s S. Australia and Kangaroo Island. New Zealand; New Caledonia; Ouvéa I. in the Loyalty Is.
Tribe AGAMINI
Agamia agami AGAMI HERON. Forest streams,
ponds, mangroves.
The Agami Heron is probably more closely related to the bitterns than
to the typical herons, but it is in a group by itself.
Lowlands to 1000 m from Nuevo León, Veracruz, Tabasco,
Chiapas and Quintana Roo s through e Guatemala in Petén, Belize,
n Honduras and Costa Rica to Panama, and from Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad
and Guianas s, w of Andes to nw Ecuador and e of Andes through e Ecuador
and e Peru to n Bolivia and w Amazonian Brazil in Amazonas and n Mato Grosso.
Tribe ARDEINI:
Nyctanassa violacea YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON.
Marshes, swampy forest, lakes, lagoons, mangroves. Lowlands from
c Baja Calif., c Sonora, c,ne Texas, e Colorado, c Oklahoma, ne Kansas,
se Nebraska, s Iowa, se Minnesota, s Wisconsin, s Michigan, s Ontario,
lower Ohio Valley, e Tennessee, e W. Virginia, se Pennsylvania and Massachusetts
s through se U.S., W. Indies, Mexico on both slopes and Socorro I., and
I. María Madre, and C. America to coastal S. America from Colombia
and Venezuela incl. Margarita I., s to nw Peru and e Brazil s to Rio Grande
do Sul; Galapagos Islands.
Nycticorax nycticorax BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON.
Marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, mangroves. From s Europe n to Netherlands,
Germany and Poland, e across s Russia, n to Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkestan
and Lake Balkhash to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, c,e China, Hainan I.,
Japan n to Honshu, s to nw Africa from Morocco to Tunisia, Mediterranean
region, Nile Valley of ne Egypt, Near and Middle East, Andaman and Nicobar
is., se Asia, Java, Bali, Flores, Borneo, Sulawesi, possibly Luzon.
S Mauritania, Mali, Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana,
Togo, Benin, n Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, C. Afr. Rep., se Sudan, Ethiopia
and Somalia; s in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo to nw Angola; Zaire,
Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana,
Namibia, Mozambique and S. Africa; Madagascar; Aldabra and Comores.
Hawaiian Is. from Niihau e to Hawaii; from c Washington, s Idaho, c Wyoming, ec Alberta, c Saskatchewan, s Manitoba, nw,c Minnesota, c Wisconsin, s Michigan, s Ontario, s Quebec, ne New Brunswick and Nova Scotia s through U.S., Middle America, Bahamas, Greater Antilles and S. America to Tierra del Fuego; Falkland Islands.
Nycticorax caledonicus RUFOUS NIGHT-HERON.
Swamps, rivers, marshes, lakes, mangroves. Lowlands from e Java,
n Borneo, Sulawesi, Philippines, (formerly Bonin Is.), Palau and Truk I.,
s through Moluccas, New Guinea and most adj. islands, Bismarck Arch., Solomon
Is. to Australia, King I. and Tasmania; New Caledonia. Ranges to
Lord Howe I., Mariana Is. and New Zealand. Ocasionally hybridizes
with N. nycticorax in Java, Sulawesi and the Philippines.
Gorsachius leuconotus WHITE-BACKED NIGHT-HERON.
Swamps, marshes, flooded areas. Locally in w,e,s Africa in Mali,
Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo,
Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Zaire, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, s Kenya,
Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia to se Angola, ne Namibia, n,e Botswana, Zimbabwe,
Mozambique and e S. Africa in Transvaal, Natal and e Cape Province.
Gorsachius magnificus WHITE-EARED NIGHT-HERON.
Dense forest. Local in highlands of Hainan I. off se China.
Ranges to mainland of se China.
Gorsachius goisagi JAPANESE NIGHT-HERON. Swamps
and streams in dense forest. Lowlands of s Japan on s Honshu and
Izu Islands, probably elsewhere.
Gorsachius melanolophus MALAYAN NIGHT-HERON.
Streams and marshy areas in humid forest. Lowlands to 1800 m from
s,e India, se China, Hainan I., Taiwan and s Ryukyu Is., s through se Asia
to Nicobar Is., Java and the Philippines. Possibly Talaud Is.
Syrigma sibilatrix WHISTLING HERON. Marshy
lagoons, ponds, rivers, savanna. Lowlands to 500 m e of the Andes
in ne Colombia and n Venezuela; n,e, se Bolivia, Paraguay, s Brazil and
N Argentina. Sheldon (1987) showed that Syrigma is closest to Egretta.
Egretta rufescens REDDISH EGRET. Mangroves,
marshes, beaches. Coastal lowlands in c,s Baja Calif., coastal Sonora,
Sinaloa and Oaxaca; Gulf coast of Texas, Louisiana and Alabama; coastal
c,s Florida, nw Bahama Is. on Grand Bahama, Abaco, Andros and Great Inagua;
Cuba and Isle of Pines; Hispaniola, formerly Jamaica; coasts and is. of
Yucatán Pen.
Egretta vinaceigula SLATY EGRET. Swamps, flooded
areas, reedbeds. Ne Namibia, w Zambia, n Botswana, Malawi, Zimbabwe,
nw Mozambique and formerly in ne S. Africa in sw Transvaal; and probably
in extreme se Angola. Breeding definitely known only in Botswana.
Egretta ardesiaca BLACK HERON. Marshes, lakes,
flooded areas, mangroves. Breeding confirmed in Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau,
s Mali, s Ghana, Nigeria, Chad, w,s Kenya, w Zambia, Angola, n Botswana,
Zimbabwe and e S. Africa in Transvaal, e Orange Free State, Natal, se Cape
Prov.; Madagascar. Also recorded in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia,
Ivory Coast, Togo, Niger, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Cameroon,
Zaire, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia.
Egretta tricolor TRICOLORED HERON. Marshes,
ponds, rivers, mangroves. Lowlands to 1000 m from c Baja Calif.,
s Sonora, nc,ne Texas, Gulf coast and Atlantic coast n to s Maine, s along
both coasts to Panama and coastal areas from Colombia, Venezuela, Netherlands
Antilles e to Trinidad and Tobago, and Guianas s to s Peru and ne Brazil;
casually in interior from N. Dakota s to se New Mexico and c Kansas; Bahamas,
Greater Antilles e to Virgin Is., islands of Providencia and San Andrés
in the w Caribbean Sea.
Egretta novaehollandiae WHITE-FACED HERON.
Coasts, marshes, lakes, flooded fields. Lowlands to 1500 m on the
Lesser Sunda Is. of Flores and Roti; New Caledonia, Lifu in Loyalty Is.,
Australia, Tasmania, s New Guinea, Norfolk and Lord Howe is., New Zealand
(since 1940) and Chatham Is. Ranges widely.
Egretta caerulea LITTLE BLUE HERON. Marshes,
ponds, lakes, meadows, streams, mangroves. Lowlands to 2600 m from
s Calif. (rarely), Baja Calif., Sonora, se New Mexico, e Colorado, ne Texas,
c Oklahoma, c Kansas, s N. Dakota, n Illinois, nw Ohio and New England
s through s,c,e U.S., Middle America on both slopes, and W. Indies to Panama,
and from Colombia, Venezuela, Netherlands Antilles e to Trinidad and Tobago
and Guianas s, w of the Andes to c Peru and e of the Andes to Brazil and
Uruguay.
Egretta garzetta LITTLE EGRET. Lakes, marshes,
flooded fields, estuaries. From Mediterranean region n to c France,
Italy and Czechoslovakia; n Morocco and Tunisia; Nile Valley, e through
Turkey, Near East, n Iraq, n Iran, Ukraine, lower Volga and Ural rivers,
e Transcaucasus, Pakistan, India up to 1400 m; Sri Lanka, and s China to
Taiwan and Japan n to c Honshu; s through Andaman and Nicobar islands and
se Asia, E. Indies (migrant?), Philippines, Palau and New Guinea, Louisiade
Arch., wo w,n,e Australia from ne W. Australia e to Queensland and s to
Victoria and islands in Bass Strait, Tasmania. Breeding confirmed
in Cape Verde Is., Senegambia, Mauritania, s Mali, s Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon,
Lake Chad area, Sudan, Gabon, Angola, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia,
Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and S. Africa. Also recorded in Sierra
Leone, Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin, Gulf of Guinea Is., Burkina Faso, Niger,
C. Afr. Rep., Zaire, Congo, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Burundi, Malawi,
Mozambique; Seychelles.
Egretta gularis WESTERN REEF-EGRET. Coasts, estuaries, mudflats, mangroves. Coasts and offshore islands in Cape Verde Is., sw Mauritania, Mali, Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Fernando Po, Príncipe, São Tomé and Annobón islands in the Gulf of Guinea; coasts and islands of the Red Sea coast from Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Socotra I., n Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Aldabra and Comoros, Madagascar, Arabia, and Persian Gulf e to w coast of India, Sri Lanka and Laccadive Is.
E. gularis and E. dimorpha are sometimes treated as races of E. garzetta and reports of sympatry are unclear. E. dimorpha has been treated as a race of E. gularis. E. garzetta apparently has a rare black morph which adds to the confusion about the relationships among these species.
Egretta dimorpha DIMORPHIC EGRET. On mainland Africa strictly marine on coasts, mudflats, marshes, mangroves; breeds on offshore coral islets. Occurs inland only on Madagascar where there is no competition from E. garzetta. Lowlands to 1000 m along coasts of se Kenya and Tanzania, Pemba and Mafia islands; Aldabra and Comoro islands; formerly on Assumption I. in the Seychelles; Madagascar.
"The East African List Committee, following Zimmerman, Turner and Pearson (in prep.) consider dimorpha an incipient species in the process of occupying a niche not occupied by garzetta .... However, ... it has not yet reached the point where it can be considered specifically distinct from garzetta." (D. A. Turner, pers. comm.). The relationships among garzetta, gularis and dimorpha clearly are complex.
Egretta thula SNOWY EGRET. Marshes, lakes,
ponds, lagoons, mangroves. Lowlands to 2600 m from n California,
n Nevada, se Idaho, Montana, S. Dakota, c Kansas, c Oklahoma, Texas, Gulf
coast, s Ontario, New England and Nova Scotia, s through e U.S., both slopes
of Middle America, and W. Indies to Panama, and S. America s to c Chile
to Chiloé I., and c Argentina to Córdoba and Buenos Aires.
Egretta eulophotes CHINESE EGRET. Lagoons,
seashores, flooded fields. Lowlands of se China, Hainan I., n Korea
and Hong Kong. One record of a vagrant on Attu I. in the Aleutians.
Egretta sacra PACIFIC REEF-EGRET. Coasts,
beaches, mangroves. From Andaman and Nicobar islands, se Asia w to
Burma, Hainan I., Taiwan, Pescadores Is., Ryukyu Is., and s Japan in w,s
Honshu and s Kyushu, s throughout E. Indies incl. many small islands, Philippines,
New Guinea and most adj. islands; from Mariana and Marshall is s to New
Caledonia, Tonga, Loyalty and Tubuai is., Tuamotu and Oeno I., to Cocos
on Keeling I., and Christmas Is.; Australia on coasts, rare in s; New Zealand.
Pilherodius pileatus CAPPED HERON. Rivers and ponds near forest, wooded savanna, farms. Lowlands to 500 m from e Panama, n,c,e Colombia, Venezuela and Guianas s, e of Andes, through e Ecuador, e Peru and Brazil s to Santa Catarina and to n,e Bolivia and n Paraguay. May be related to the night-herons.
Ardea cinerea GREY HERON. Lakes, marshes, swamps, rivers, flooded fields, mangroves.
A. c. cinerea From Outer Hebrides, British Isles and nw,s
Scandinavia e across c Russia and c Siberia to Sakhalin and Japan, s to
Canary Is., and from Morocco to Tunisia; n Mediterranean region, Nile delta,
Red Sea coast, Turkey, Iraq, n Iran, n Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri
Lanka, se Asia, Sumatra, Lingga Arch., Java, Lesser Sunda Is., Hainan and
Taiwan. Occurs widely in Africa with breeding confirmed in Senegambia,
Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Ghana, s Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Sudan, Ethiopia,
Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana,
Zimbabwe and South Africa; also recorded in Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone,
Togo, Benin, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., Gabon, Congo, Zaire and Mozambique;
breeds on the Aldabra Is. and in Madagascar. European birds winter
in Africa between the Sahara to the Equator. Most breeding colonies
are in southern Africa, north to the Equator.
A. c. monicae has been recognized as a separate subspecies
by some authors because it breeds on the Banc d'Arguin islands off nw Mauritania
and therefore does not interbreed with cinerea. It is known from
only two specimens; its status is uncertain.
Ardea herodias GREAT BLUE HERON. Marshes, lakes, swamps, rivers, lagoons, coasts, mangroves.
Populations in the Caribbean are polymorphic and the white morph formerly
was treated as a separate species, A. occidentalis, the Great White Heron,
now usually considered a race of herodias, as below. The name "Great
White Heron" would be appropriate for Ardea alba, formerly called the Great
Egret, see below.
A. h. herodias From sc,se Alaska, coastal, w British
Columbia, n Alberta, s Keewatin, c Manitoba, s Ontario, s Quebec, New Brunswick,
Prince Edward I. and Nova Scotia s through U.S. and n Mexico to Guerrero,
Veracruz, Gulf coast and interior s Florida; Galapagos Is.
A. h. occidentalis S coastal Florida, Florida Keys,
Cuba, I. of Pines, Virgin Is. on St. Thomas and Anegada; coast of Yucatán
Pen., and I. Los Roques off n Venezuela.
Ardea cocoi COCOI HERON. Rivers, lagoons, marshes,
swamps. Lowlands to 1500 m from e Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad
and Guianas s to s Chile in Magallanes and s Argentina in Chubut.
Ardea pacifica PACIFIC HERON. Lakes, ponds,
marshes. Australia and Tasmania; ranges to s New Guinea.
Ardea melanocephala BLACK-HEADED HERON. Grassland,
savanna. Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia,
Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, s Mauritania, s Mali, Burkina
Faso, s Niger, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, c,s Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea,
Somalia, Yemen, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola,
Zambia, Malawi, Mozamique, Gabon, Congo, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and
s to s S. Africa.
Ardea humbloti HUMBLOT'S HERON. Mangroves,
marshes, mudflats. Lowlands of w,s Madagascar.
Ardea goliath GOLIATH HERON. Lakes, marshes,
swamps, mangroves, coasts. Senegambia, s Mauritania, s Mali, Niger,
Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana,
Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. African Rep., Chad, s Sudan, se Egypt,
coastal Ethiopia Eritrea, Djibouti, nw,s Somalia, sw Arabia in Yemen, ne
Zaire, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Mafia I., Malawi, Mozambique,
Zambia, Gabon, Congo, s Angola, ne Namibia, n,e Botswana, Zimbabwe, to
e S. Africa in Transvaal, Orange Free State and nc Cape Prov.; s Iraq in
the Tigris-Euphrates Valley and s Iran.
Ardea insignis WHITE-BELLIED HERON. Swamps,
marshes, forested rivers. Himalayan foothills in ne India in Nepal,
Sikkim, n Bihar, Bhutan, n Bangladesh, ne Assam and Burma.
Ardea sumatrana GREAT-BILLED HERON. Mangroves,
swamps, estuaries, islands, beaches. Lowlands of w,s Burma incl.
Tenasserim, se, pen. Thailand, s Vietnam in Cochinchina, Malaya, E. Indies
incl. many small islands; Philippines on Mindoro, Palawan, Bantayan, Guimara,
Negros, Bohol, Basilan and Sulu Arch.; New Guinea, Biak and Yapen is.;
coasts and islands of n Australia from nw W. Australia s to Derby e to
ne Queensland s to Broad Sound.
Ardea purpurea PURPLE HERON. Marshes, swamps, reedbeds, flooded fields, lakes, mangroves.
The Purple Heron breeds locally and migrates to many areas south of
the breeding grounds. The geographic variation is not well understood
and there is uncertainty about the validity and ranges of the several subspecies
that have been described. Breeding colonies are sparsely distributed
and the following distribution may include records of migrants and wintering
birds.
A. p. purpurea Local colonies from Europe s to Spain
and Portugal, n to France, Netherlands, Germany and Poland, e across s
Russia n to Ukraine, lower Volga and lower Ural rivers, in the s, n to
Kazakhstan and s Kirghiz steppes e to Lake Balkash. From Pakistan
and India in lowlands, Nepal, Sri Lanka, s,se,e China, Hainan I., and se
Siberia; s to a few colonies in nw Africa from n Morocco e to Algeria;
Nile Valley; n Mediterranean region, Sardinia, n Egypt, Turkey, Lake Huleh
in Israel, Near and Middle East in river valleys, nw Arabia, Andaman and
Nicobar is., se Asia, Sumatra and adj. islands, Lingga Arch., Java and
Kangean Is., Borneo, Sulawesi, Peleng and Butung is., Lesser Sunda is.
of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Roti; Buru I. in s Moluccas; Philippines.
Senegambia, Mali and possibly nw Zaire. From se Sudan, Uganda, Kenya
and s Somalia s through Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, interior Tanzania, se Zaire,
Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, and w Zimbabwe to S. Africa in e,s Cape
Province. Occurs in other African countries but breeding not confirmed.
Lowlands to 1800 m of Madagascar; Seychelles. Incl. madagascariensis.
Wintering birds from the north occur widely in Africa.
A. p. bournei São Tiago I. in the Cape Verde Is. Ca. 200 pairs. May be a separate species, but its status is unclear.
Ardea picata PIED HERON. Riparian trees, mangroves.
Sulawesi, Tanimbar islands and n Australia from ne W. Australia in the
Kimberleys, e to ne Queensland, s to Townsville. Ranges n to Borneo
and Moluccas, e to New Guinea and s to c Australia. Affinities uncertain,
often placed in Egretta.
Ardea alba (= Casmerodius albus). GREAT EGRET.
GREAT WHITE HERON would be an appropriate English name but has been applied
to a white race of A. herodias. Marshes, swamps, mangroves, reedbeds,
lakes, rivers.
The inclusion of this species in Ardea is supported by DNA hybridization
data. It was listed as Ardea alba by Mayr and Cottrell (1979. Peters'
Check-list of Birds of the World, vol. 1, 2nd ed. pp. 203-204). The
relationships among the following races are not clear. A. a. modesta
may be a separate species, but extensive comparisons among all forms have
not been done.
A. a. alba From s Czechoslovakia, Austria and Balkans
e across Turkey, n to Ukraine, lower Volga and lower Ural rivers, n to
Kazakhstan and Kirghiz steppes, Mongolia and se Siberia in Transbaicalia,
s Amurland and Ussuriland to n Japan.
A. a. modesta From Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Manchuria,
Korea, s Japan, Philippines, Celebes, Moluccas, s through s Asia, E. Indies
(vagrants?) and New Guinea to Solomon Is. (Bougainville, Rennell), Australia,
Tasmania and New Zealand (breeding on S. Island near Okarito). A.
a. modesta may be a separate species. It differs from A. a. alba
in behavior and is smaller than the other races.
A. a. melanorhynchos Locally in Africa from s Mauritania,
Senegambia, s Mali, se Niger, C. African Rep., n Ethiopia s to c Namibia,
n Botswana and e,s Africa, and in lowlands to 800 m on Mohéli I.
in the Comoro Is. and Madagascar. Confirmed breeding in Senegambia,
Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, Chad,
Somalia, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South
Africa; Comoros, Madagascar.
A. a. egretta Locally in lowlands to 2600 m from
s Oregon, s Idaho, se Saskatchewan, sw Manitoba, c Minnesota, s Ontario,
New York and New England s through U.S., Middle America, W. Indies and
S. America to s Chile at the Straits of Magellan and s Argentina in Santa
Cruz.
Ardea intermedia INTERMEDIATE EGRET. (= Mesophoyx intermedia; Egretta intermedia). Marshes, flooded fields, swamps, estuaries, mangroves.
DNA hybridization data place Mesophoyx intermedia and Bubulcus ibis
closer to Ardea than to Egretta (Sheldon, 1987. Auk 104:606-612).
The three following subspecies are widely allopatric and morphologically
distinct in color of soft parts, especially the bill and head; they may
be allospecies.
A. i. brachyrhyncha Breeding confirmed in Mauritania,
Mali, Senegambia, Nigeria, L. Chad area, Sudan, Ethiopia, possibly Congo,
Zaire, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Angola, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South
Africa in Transvaal, Orange Free State, Natal and s,e Cape Prov.
Also recorded in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast,
Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Eritrea, Somalia, Cameroon, C. African
Rep., Gabon, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia.
A. i. intermedia Lowlands to 1400 m from Pakistan,
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, s,e China and s Japan on Honshu and Shikoku, s
through Andaman and Nicobar is. and se Asia to E. Indies in Sumatra, Java,
Sulawesi; possibly vagrants only elsewhere.
A. i. plumifera New Guinea (possibly) and n,e,se Australia from ne W. Australia e to Queensland, s to Victoria and w to se S. Australia.
Bubulcus ibis CATTLE EGRET. (Probably belongs in Ardea, has been placed in Egretta). Wet fields, marshes, swamps, pastures, grassland, often associated with large grazing mammals.
B. i. ibis From Cape Verde Is. (formerly?), Iberian Peninsula,
s France, n Morocco, n Algeria, Egypt, e through Turkey and Near East to
Caspian Sea area and se Iraq. Occurs in all African countries and
breeds in most (perhaps all) from Senegambia e through s Mali, s Niger,
Cameroon, São Tomé, s Chad and c,s Sudan to Ethiopia and
s Somalia and s to S. Africa; Madagascar; most islands in Indian Ocean
s to Mascarene Is. From nw,c California, s Idaho, s Saskatchewan,
Minnesota, s Ontario and New England s through U.S., Middle America, W.
Indies and S. America to nw Chile and n Argentina; Galapagos Is.
Introduced in the Hawaiian Is. and has colonized many parts of the world
in recent years, including a trans-Atlantic movement from sw Europe to
ne South America and from there throughout most of South and North America,
as above.
B. i. coromanda From Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka
e to China, Japan and Ryukyu Is., Bonin Is. and s through se Asia, E. Indies,
Philippines and New Guinea to islands in the Indian Ocean. Australia,
New Zealand, New Caledonia (vagrant only) and Caroline Is.
Ardeola: Morphologically similar
to Butorides.
Ardeola ralloides SQUACCO HERON. Swamps, marshes,
rivers, lagoons, wet grassland. From s Iberian Pen., se France, Italy,
Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Romania s to nw Morocco and Greece e through
Turkey and Near East to Iraq, Iran, c,s Ukraine, upper Irtysh R. region
and Transcaspia to Turkestan. Sw Mauritania, s Mali, Senegambia,
Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso,
Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, L. Chad area and from ne,se Zaire, s Egypt, Ethiopia,
Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania; s to Gabon, Congo,
Angola, n Namibia, e Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and
e S. Africa in Transvaal, Orange Free State, Natal and se Cape Prov; Madagascar;
Aldabra and Comores. Not recorded in Gulf of Guinea Is., Cape Verde
Is., Eritrea, Djibouti, Socotra I., Yemen, Seychelles or Mascarene Is.
Ardeola grayii INDIAN POND-HERON. Lakes, marshes,
rivers, flooded fields, swamps, tidal mudflats, mangroves. From Kuwait
and s Iran along Persian Gulf e through Pakistan and India to 1500 m, Sri
Lanka, Burma and Laccadive Is, s to Maldive, Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Ardeola bacchus CHINESE POND-HERON. Ponds,
marshes, flooded fields. Lowlands from e India, Bangladesh, Assam,
Manipur and s,e China to e Inner Mongolia and Hainan I., s to Andaman Is.,
Burma and Indochina. Extent of breeding in se Asia uncertain.
Ardeola speciosa JAVAN POND-HERON. Ponds,
marshes, flooded fields, mangroves Lowlands in c Thailand, Cambodia,
s Vietnam in Cochinchina; Sumatra, Java, Kangean Is., Borneo, Sulawesi,
Salayar and Butung is., Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa and Sumba is.; and probably
Mindanao in the s Philippines; possibly s Burma in Tenasserim and s Malaya.
Ardeola idae MADAGASCAR POND-HERON. Ponds,
marshes, mangroves. Breeds in Madagascar and Aldabra Is. Recorded
in Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Ardeola rufiventris RUFOUS-BELLIED HERON.
Marshes, reedbeds, swamps. Breeding confirmed in Uganda, Rwanda,
se Zaire, Zambia, n Namibia, n Botswana, Angola, Malawi, Zimbabwe and extreme
e S. Africa in Natal. Ranges widely in e,s Africa; records from Burundi,
Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique.
Butorides striatus STRIATED HERON. Ponds,
rivers, lakes, lagoons, marshes, swamps, mangroves. Lowlands of Africa,
breeding locally in w,e,se; coast of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden; Madagascar
and Comoro and Mascarene islands; lowlands, mostly below 1200 m, from Pakistan,
India, Sri Lanka, c,e China, Hainan I., se Siberia, s Sakhalin and Japan
n to n Honshu, s through se Asia, E. Indies, Philippines and New Guinea
to is. in the Indian Ocean off India; coastal w,n,e,se Australia s in W.
Australia to Carnarvon and in se to Victoria; islands from Bismarck Arch.
and Solomons e,s to Fiji, New Caledonia, Loyalty and Tahiti in the Society
Is. Lowlands to 2600 m from c,e Panama and w Colombia, Venezuela,
Margarita I., Trinidad and Guianas s to nw Chile and n Argentina; Galapagos
Is.
Butorides virescens GREEN HERON. Ponds, rivers, lakes, lagoons, marshes, swamps, mangroves. From sw British Columbia, w Washington, w Oregon, n Calif., wc,s Nevada, s Utah, nc New Mexico, e Colorado, e S. Dakota, c Minnesota, n Wisconsin, nc Michigan, s Ontario, s Quebec and s New Brunswick s through U.S., Middle America and W. Indies to e Panama, Pearl Is., Tobago and is. off n coast of Venezuela from Aruba e to La Tortuga and La Blanquilla.
Present information indicates that striatus and virescens are best treated as allospecies, although both have been found on Cocos I. off Costa Rica and may breed there, but it seems likely that striatus was only a vagrant.
Butorides sundevalli GALAPAGOS HERON. Rocky coasts, mangroves. Galapagos Islands.
Family SCOPIDAE:
Scopus umbretta HAMERKOP. Lakes, ponds, swamps,
marshes. Senegambia, s Mauritania, s Mali, Burkina Faso, s Niger,
Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria,
Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, s Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia,
Yemen, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Gabon, Congo, Angola,
Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and to s S. Africa;
lowlands to 1800 m of Madagascar. Resident and breeding in most countries.
Phoenicopterus ruber GREATER FLAMINGO. Salt
lakes, brackish shallow lagoons, mudspits.
P. r. roseus Along Mediterranean and nw African coasts in s Spain,
s France (Camargue), Turkey, s Morocco, sw Mauritania, Tunisia and ne Egypt;
Arabia; ne Caspian Sea, lakes in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, se Afghanistan,
Pakistan in Sind, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. Senegambia, Gulf
of Guinea Is., Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Burundi, Uganda, sw
Kenya, n Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana,
Zimbabwe and S. Africa; w,s Madagascar; Seychelles, Aldabra, Comores.
P. r. ruber Locally in Galapagos Is.; se Mexico
on the Yucatán Peninsula; Cuba, Hispaniola probably incl. Gonâve
and Beata islands; s Bahamas on Acklins I. and Great Inagua; Bonaire I.
in the Netherlands Antilles; and ne Colombia in Magdalena and Guajira.
Phoenicopterus chilensis CHILEAN FLAMINGO. Mudflats, shallow lagoons, lakes.
Often included in P. ruber, with which it readily hybridizes in captivity.
Andes from c,s Peru s through c,s Bolivia to s Chile in n Magallanes;
pampas and mts. of Paraguay, Uruguay, s Brazil in Rio Grande do Sul and
c,s Argentina s to Santa Cruz. Often included in ruber.
Phoenicopterus minor LESSER FLAMINGO. Brackish shallows, mudspits, salt lakes. Local in sw Mauritania, Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Gabon, Rift Valley in c Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Yemen, ne Zaire, Burundi, Uganda, w Kenya, sw Tanzania, Malawi, n Zambia, Angola, cn Namibia, Zimbabwe, c Botswana, Mozambique and c,s S. Africa; Madagascar. Presumably breeding in Pakistan and nw India e to Ganges plain, Orissa and Gujarat.
"In view of its highly specialized feeding habits the South African and East African List Committees prefer to place this species in Phoeniconaias...." (D. A. Turner, pers. comm.).
Phoenicopterus andinus ANDEAN FLAMINGO. Brackish
shallows, mudspits, lakes. High Andes in s Peru, sw Bolivia in Oruro
and Potosí, n Chile in Tarapacá, Antofagasta and Atacama;
and nw Argentina in Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán and Catamarca.
Phoenicopterus jamesi PUNA FLAMINGO. Brackish
shallows, mudspits, lakes. High Andes in s Peru on Lake Titicaca,
w Bolivia in La Paz, Oruro and Potosí, ne Chile in Tarapacá,
and nw Argentina in Jujuy, Salta, Catamarca and Tucumán.
Family THRESKIORNITHIDAE:
Eudocimus albus WHITE IBIS. Marshes, mangroves,
lagoons, lakes, wooded swamps. Mostly near coasts from c Baja Calif.
n to lat 27°N, c Sinaloa, s,e Texas, s Louisiana, Florida, coastal
Virginia, Cuba and Isle of Pines, Jamaica, Hispaniola and Bahamas s through
Middle America to Pacific coast of nw S. America s to nw Peru, and Caribbean
coast to n,e Colombia, n,sw Venezuela and French Guiana. E. albus
and E. ruber hybridize in captivity, but interbreeding in mixed colonies
in Venezuela is relatively rare. They overlap in few places and could
be considered conspecific or as allospecies.
Eudocimus ruber SCARLET IBIS. Coastal swamps,
mangroves, lagoons, tidewater rivers. N,e S. America in n,e Colombia
(breeding?) from lower Magdalena Valley e to Guajira, s to Caquetá,
Meta and Arauca; Venezuela exc. s, but incl. Margarita I., breeding in
Falcón, Apure and Delta Amacuro; Trinidad, Guianas and n,e coastal
Brazil s to São Paulo and Paraná.
Phimosus infuscatus WHISPERING IBIS. Forest
and savanna rivers and pools. Lowlands to 2000 m from n,e Colombia
and ne Ecuador e to Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam and n Brazil in Roraima;
n.e Bolivia, c,s Brazil s to Rio Grande do Sul, Paraguay, Uruguay and n
Argentina s to Tucumán, Córdoba, Santa Fe and Buenos Aires.
Plegadis falcinellus GLOSSY IBIS. Marshes,
swamps, lagoons, lakes. Locally from s Europe in Austria, Italy,
Balkans, Greece, formerly Iberian Pen. and France; nw Africa in Morocco
and Algeria; e across Turkey, Near East, Caspian and Aral seas, Turkestan
and Lake Balkhash, nw Mongolia, Middle East, Pakistan in Sind, n India
from Uttar Pradesh e to Assam and s to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa
and Manipur, Burma and se China, Hainan I. Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi
and n,s Philippines on Luzon and Mindanao. Africa in s Mauritania,
s Mali, Niger, Ethiopia, Somalia, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda,
Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, s Angola, n Namibia, n,e Botswana,
Zimbabwe and ne S. Africa. Madagascar. N,e,s Australia.
E,se U.S. from New England s to Florida and w on Gulf coast to Louisiana
and Arkansas; Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico; n Venezuela in Aragua.
Plegadis chihi WHITE-FACED IBIS. Marshes, swamps,
lagoons, lakes. Locally from c California, e Oregon, s Idaho, Montana,
s N. Dakota and (formerly) sw Minnesota s to Colima, Zacatecas, México,
Veracruz, s,e Texas, s Louisiana and s Alabama on Cat I. Locally
in c,se Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, s Brazil, n,c Argentina s to Río
Negro. Sometimes lumped with falcinellus, but the breeding ranges
overlap marginally along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
Plegadis ridgwayi PUNA IBIS. Swampy areas,
ponds and streams in puna grassland. High Andes from c Peru s through
c,s Bolivia to extreme n Chile in Arica and Tarapacá, and nw Argentina
in Jujuy and Salta.
Cercibis oxycerca SHARP-TAILED IBIS. Marshes,
ponds and streams in savanna. Lowlands to 500 m e of the Andes from
llanos of e Colombia, c Venezuela, sw Guyana and Surinam, s to w Amazonian
Brazil from Rio Negro and Rio Branco s to Rio Guaporé in nw Mato
Grosso.
Theristicus caerulescens PLUMBEOUS IBIS. Ponds,
marshes. Lowlands in n,se Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, s Brazil and
n Argentina.
Theristicus caudatus BUFF-NECKED IBIS. Marshes
and ponds, usually in savanna. Lowlands to 1600 m from c,e Colombia,
n,c Venezuela, Guyana and French Guiana. s, e of the Andes through
Brazil to n,e,se Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and n Argentina.
Theristicus branickii ANDEAN IBIS. Marshes
and ponds in puna. High Andes from Ecuador s to extreme n Chile and
cw Bolivia. Sometimes treated as a race of T. melanopis.
Theristicus melanopis BLACK-FACED IBIS. Marshes,
ponds, reedbeds, open forest. From coastal Peru, n Chile and c Argentina
s to Cape Horn.
Mesembrinibis cayennensis GREEN IBIS. Swampy
woods, ponds and streams in forest. Lowlands to 500 m from Panama,
n,e Colombia, s Venezuela and Guianas s, e of the Andes through e Ecuador,
e Peru, n,e Bolivia and Brazil to Paraguay and ne Argentina in Misiones.
Bostrychia hagedash HADADA IBIS. Wooded streams
in savanna and open forest. From Mauritania and Senegambia e across
s Mali, Burkina Faso, s Niger, s Chad, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone,
Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Gulf
of Guinea Is., to C. Afr. Rep., Chad, s Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and s
Somalia, s to Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, sw,sc,se Zaire, e Angola,
Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, ne
Namibia, n,e Botswana and S. Africa in Transvaal, Orange Free State, Natal
and Cape Province.
Bostrychia carunculata WATTLED IBIS. Open
forest. Mts. above 1800 m of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Bostrychia olivacea OLIVE IBIS. Humid forest.
From Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana sw Cameroon, Gabon, C.
African Rep., and cw,ne,ce Zaire; Aberdare Mts. and Mt. Kenya in c Kenya,
and ne Tanzania on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Usambara Mts. and probably on Mt. Meru.
São Tomé I. in the Gulf of Guinea; population on Príncipe
I. possibly extinct.
Bostrychia rara SPOT-BREASTED IBIS. Forested
swamps. Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, sw C. African
Rep., n,ne Zaire and w Uganda, and s to Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo,
cw,cs,ce Zaire and extreme ne Angola.
Geronticus eremita WALDRAPP. Dry, rocky areas, high
meadows, montane streams. May be nearing extinction. Locally
in three disjunct areas: mts. of Morocco and n Algeria; se Turkey
along the Euphrates River; possibly Arabia and Red Sea area. A feeding
flock in sw Arabia may indicate an undiscovered colony in the Middle East
(World Birdwatch 16(1):16). Formerly bred in s Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, Syria, probably Greece.
Geronticus calvus BALD IBIS. Cliffs, mt. gorges.
Highlands above 900 m of S. Africa in e Transvaal, e Orange Free State,
Lesotho, Natal and e Cape Province.
Lophotibis cristata WHITE-WINGED IBIS. Forest.
Lowlands to 1800 m of Madagascar.
Threskiornis aethiopicus SACRED IBIS. Marshes, open moist areas, flooded farms, coastal lagoons.
T. a. aethiopicus Occurs in all subSaharan African countries
from sw Mauritania and Senegambia e across s Mali, s Niger, s Chad and
Sudan incl. most of the Nile River Valley, to Ethiopia and Somalia and
s to s S. Africa; also se Iraq.
T. a. bernieri Lowlands of Madagascar and Aldabra
Is. Sometimes treated as a separate species.
Threskiornis melanocephalus BLACK-HEADED IBIS.
Marshes, lakes, rivers, farms, lagoons. Lowlands in Pakistan, India,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, c,ne China, Burma, Thailand, Indochina and Malaya (vagrant
only); w Java. Sometimes included in T. aethiopicus.
Threskiornis molucca AUSTRALIAN IBIS. Pastures,
swamps, flooded fields, woods, lawns. Lowlands on Seram I. in the
s Moluccas; Kai Besar in the Kai Is.; Waigeo and Salawati in the w Papuan
Is., New Guinea, and Australia except the dry western interior; most common
from ne W. Australaia in the Kimberleys e to Queensland, s to Victoria
and w to s S. Australia. Ranges to Tasmania and New Zealand.
Sometimes included in T. aethiopicus.
Threskiornis spinicollis STRAW-NECKED IBIS.
Swamps, pastures, dry grassland. Australia.
Pseudibis papillosa RED-NAPED IBIS. Lakes,
rivers, farms, marshes. Lowlands in Pakistan in Sind, and India s
to Mysore and e to Nepal and Assam.
Pseudibis davisoni WHITE-SHOULDERED IBIS.
Lakes, rivers, farms, marshes. Lowlands in sw China in sw Yunnan,
w,c,s Burma, nw,c,peninsular Thailand and Indochina. May be conspecific
with papillosa.
Pseudibis gigantea GIANT IBIS. Swamps, lakes,
open forest. Lowlands in c,peninsular Thailand, Cambodia, c,s Laos
and s Vietnam in Cochinchina.
Nipponia nippon CRESTED IBIS. Lakes among
wooded hills, rice paddies, swamps, ponds. Nearly extinct.
Known only from cw Honshu on Sado I. and the Ishikawa Peninsula in c Japan;
c China in s Shensi. Formerly bred in e China and Japan.
Platalea leucorodia EURASIAN SPOONBILL. Swamps,
lakes, mudflats, lagoons. From s Spain, Netherlands, Austria, Hungary,
Romania, Balkans and Turkey e to n Black and Caspian seas, the Aral Sea
and Kazakhstan, s Siberia in Tuva, e Transbaicalia and Ussuriland, Mongolia
and n China to Manchuria, Japan and Korea, s to se Iraq, s Iran and Afghanistan,
e across Pakistan to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Islands off coast
of s Mauritania, Senegambia, perhaps Guinea-Bissau, w shore of Red Sea
from Egypt and Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, n Somalia and the
coast of Yemen.
Platalea regia ROYAL SPOONBILL. Swamp vegetation,,
bushes, trees. Locally in lowlands of w Java. Australia in
wet areas except c W. Australia, sw N. Australia and w S. Australia; s
New Zealand in Okarito on the South Island. Rennell I. in the s Solomon
Is. Sometimes included in P. leucorodia.
Platalea alba AFRICAN SPOONBILL. Lakes, marshes,
estuaries. Locally in Mauritania, Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea,
Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon, s Mali, Burkina
Faso, Niger, Chad, C. Afr. Rep., Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and
s Somalia, and s (exc. forested wc) to Gabon, Congo, Zaire, Angola, Rwanda,
Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia,
Mozambique and S. Africa; lowlands of w Madagascar.
Platalea minor BLACK-FACED SPOONBILL. Mudflats,
lakes, estuaries. Ne China from Manchuria s to coastal Fukien and
Korea.
Platalea flavipes YELLOW-BILLED SPOONBILL.
Marshes, pools, swamps. Australia. Ranges to Tasmania.
Ajaia ajaja ROSEATE SPOONBILL. Marshes, swamps,
ponds, lagoons, mangroves. Locally in lowlands to 1000 m from n Sinaloa,
coastal Texas, sw Louisiana, s Florida, Cuba and Isle of Pines, Hispaniola
and Great Inagua in s Bahamas, s through Middle America to Panama, and
from n,e Colombia, Venezuela and Guianas s, e of Andes through e Ecuador,
e Peru, n,e,se Bolivia and Brazil to Paraguay, Uruguay and n Argentina
s to Córdoba and Buenos Aires; west of Andes in w Ecuador and nw
Peru; c Chile (formerly?).
Family PELECANIDAE:
Subfamily BALAENICIPITINAE:
Balaeniceps rex SHOEBILL. Swamps. C
Africa from ne Cameroon, C. African Rep., s Sudan and cw Ethiopia s through
e Zaire, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, sw Kenya and w Tanzania to se Zaire and
n Zambia. A record from Botswana is erroneous, but the Shoebill has
been recorded and photographed in sw Kenya in Sept.-Oct. 1994 (D. A. Turner,
pers. comm.).
Subfamily PELECANINAE:
Pelecanus onocrotalus GREAT WHITE PELICAN.
Lakes, marshes. In Romania (formerly Yugoslavia, Hungary and Bulgaria),
Greece, Turkey, nw Iran, n coasts of Black, Caspian and Aral seas, Lake
Balkasch area in Kazakhstan, nw Persian Gulf in Kuwait, w India in Kutch,
and s Vietnam in Cochinchina. Africa in scattered colonies in sw
Mauritania, Mali, Senegambia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Lake Chad basin, Ethiopia,
sw Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and S. Africa. Occurs
in other African countries as an intra-African migrant.
Pelecanus rufescens PINK-BACKED PELICAN. Swamps,
lakes, marshes. Locally in Senegambia, s Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea,
Sierra Leone, Ghana, n Nigeria, s Chad, s Sudan and n Ethiopia and Eritrea
on the Red Sea coast; from Uganda, Kenya and s Somalia s through Rwanda,
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia to n Botswana, Mozambique, Angola
and n,e S. Africa in e Transvaal and n Natal. Occurs in other African
countries as an intra-African migrant. Sw Arabia; Madagascar (formerly)
and Amirante I. in the Seychelles.
Pelecanus crispus DALMATIAN PELICAN. Lakes,
rivers, seacoasts, lagoons, estuaries. From Albania and Greece e
across Turkey, se Balkans, n shores of Black and Caspian seas, Kazakhstan
and Turkestan from Aral Sea to Lake Balkhash, to se Mongolia and w China
in w Sinkiang; s Iran. Sometimes treated as a race of P. philippensis.
Pelecanus philippensis SPOT-BILLED PELICAN.
Lakes, rivers, seacoasts, lagoons, estuaries. Lowlands from Pakistan,
India (breeding known only in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Assam), Sri Lanka
and se China, Hainan I., s through se Asia (breeding uncertain) to Sumatra,
Java and Philippines on Luzon and Mindanao, at least formerly.
Pelecanus conspicillatus AUSTRALIAN PELICAN.
Lakes, lagoons, estuaries. Australia and Tasmania.
Pelecanus erythrorhynchos AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN.
Rivers, lakes, estuaries, bays. From sc British Columbia, ne Alberta,
nw Saskatchewan, c Manitoba and sw Ontario s locally to ne California,
w Nevada, n Utah, n Colorado, ne S. Dakota and sw Minnesota; se Texas;
Durango.
Pelecanus occidentalis BROWN PELICAN. Seacoasts,
estuaries, bays, islands. Pacific coast, usually on islands, from
c Calif. incl. Channel Islands, s to w Mexico incl. islands in Gulf of
California, Isabela and Tres Marías islands, s Honduras in the Bay
of Fonseca, Costa Rica, Panama incl. Pearl Is., and many small islets.
Colombia and Ecuador. From coast of se U.S. n to Maryland and s to
Texas; s Bahamas on Great Inagua and Caicos Is., Greater Antilles e to
Virgin Is. and St. Martin; islands off Yucatán Peninsula and Belize;
off n coast of Venezuela from Aruba to Los Roques, e to Tobago and Trinidad;
Galapagos Islands. Ranges from s British Columbia and New England
s to n Peru and n Brazil.
Pelecanus thagus PERUVIAN PELICAN. Seacoasts, estuaries, bays, islands. From coastal Peru n to Piura to s Chile on Isla Chiloé. Often considered conspecific with occidentalis.
Family CICONIIDAE:
Subfamily CATHARTINAE:
Coragyps atratus BLACK VULTURE. In many habitats,
especially towns and villages, exc. in heavy forest. Lowlands and
mts. to 3500 m from s Arizona, Chihuahua, w Texas, e Oklahoma, e Kansas,
Missouri, s Illinois, s Indiana, c Ohio, sc Pennsylvania and New Jersey
s through se U.S. and Middle America to Panama, and from Colombia, Venezuela
and Margarita I., Trinidad and Guianas s (exc. humid Andean slopes and
puna and paramo zones) to c Chile and c Argentina in Río Negro.
Cathartes aura TURKEY VULTURE. Forest, grassland,
desert, open country. Mostly lowlands and mts. to 3900 m from s British
Columbia e across s Canada to w,s Ontario, s Quebec and New England, s
through U.S. and Middle America to Panama, and from Colombia, Venezuela
incl. Margarita I., Trinidad and Guianas s to Tierra del Fuego; Falkland
Is.; n Bahamas; Cuba and Isle of Pines; Jamaica.
Cathartes burrovianus LESSER YELLOW-HEADED VULTURE.
Grassland, savanna, marshes, broken forestLowlands to 1800 m in s Tamaulipas,
Veracruz, Tabasco, n Chiapas, Yucatán Pen., Oaxaca on both slopes,
Belize, Guatemala in Petén, Mosquitia in e Honduras and ne Nicaragua,
nc Costa Rica, Panama, and from sw,c,e Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and
Surinam, s, e of the Andes through e Peru, n,e Bolivia and Brazil to Paraguay,
Uruguay and n Argentina in Corrientes, Chaco and Santa Fe.
Cathartes melambrotus GREATER YELLOW-HEADED VULTURE.
Forest. Lowlands to 1000 m e of the Andes in se Colombia, e,s Venezuela,
Guyana, Surinam, n Brazil, e Peru and n,e Bolivia.
Gymnogyps californianus CALIFORNIA CONDOR. Rocky
and brushy areas in mountainous country, grassland, savanna. Until
recently only in the coastal ranges of s Calif. with breeding confined
to Los Padres National Forest. Now extirpated in the wild, breeding
only in captivity. Attempts to release birds bred in captivity so
far not successful. Formerly from s British Columbia s to n Baja
Calif. in historic times.
Vultur gryphus ANDEAN CONDOR. Open areas, usually
in mountains, breeds on rocky cliffs. Mts., 1500-5200 m from Colombia and
w Venezuela s through Andes of Ecuador, Peru incl. seacoasts, Bolivia,
Chile and Argentina to Navarino I. in Tierra del Fuego. Ranges widely
to lowlands. Formerly widespread, now local and reduced in numbers.
Sarcoramphus papa KING VULTURE. Forest, savanna.
Lowlands to 1500 m from Sinaloa, Puebla and Veracruz s to Panama, and from
Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Guianas s, w of Andes to nw Peru, and
e of the Andes through e Ecuador, e Peru, Brazil and Bolivia to Paraguay,
Uruguay and n Argentina.
Subfamily CICONIINAE:
Mycteria americana WOOD STORK. Marshes, swamps,
lagoons, mangroves. Lowlands to 2200 m from s Sonora, Mexican Plateau
(rarely), Gulf coast from e Texas to Florida and Atlantic coast n to S.
Carolina, s along both slopes of Middle America, incl. many islands, to
Panama and from Colombia (mostly on Caribbean coast), Venezuela, Trinidad
and Guianas s, w of Andes to c Peru and e of Andes through e Ecuador, e
Peru, n,e,se Bolivia and Brazil to n Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and n Argentina;
Cuba; Dominican Rep. in e Hispaniola.
Mycteria cinerea MILKY STORK. Lakes, marshes,
lagoons, flooded fields, mangroves. Lowlands to 1000 m in Cambodia,
s Vietnam in Cochinchina, Malaya, Sumatra, e Java and Sulawesi.
Mycteria ibis YELLOW-BILLED STORK. Lakes,
marshes, lagoons. Sw Mauritania, Senegambia, s Mali, s Niger, Guinea-Bissau,
Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria,
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, s Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea,
Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Gabon, Congo,
Zaire, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia
and n,e S. Africa in Transvaal, Orange Free State and Natal; w Madagascar.
Mycteria leucocephala PAINTED STORK. Marshes,
lakes, flooded fields, swamps. Lowlands in Pakistan, India, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, se China, c,s Burma, c, peninsular Thailand and Indochina, exc.
n Vietnam.
Anastomus oscitans ASIAN OPENBILL. Lakes,
rivers, marshes, flooded fields. Lowlands in Pakistan, India, Nepal,
Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and s Vietnam in Cochinchina.
Anastomus lamelligerus AFRICAN OPENBILL. Lakes, marshes,
rivers. Senegambia, Sierra Leone, s Mali, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina
Faso, Niger, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, s Niger, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep.,
s Chad, s Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya,
Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Gabon, Congo, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia
and n,e S. Africa; lowlands to 1200 m of w Madagascar. Intra-African
migrant, breeds in suitable habitat in many countries.
Ciconia nigra BLACK STORK. Streams, ponds,
lakes and swampy meadows, usually in or near forest. Iberian Peninsula;
and from Germany and Estonia s to Balkans and Greece (formerly n to Denmark
and Sweden), e across c Russia and c Siberia to Amurland and Sakhalin,
s to n,sc Iran, n Afghanistan, Mongolia and n China. Africa in Angola,
Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and S.
Africa.
Ciconia abdimii ABDIM'S STORK. Savanna and
near human habitation. Senegambia, s Mauritania, s Mali, Sierra Leone,
Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, s Niger, Nigeria,
n Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, c,s Sudan, w,c Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti,
Somalia, ne Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, w Kenya, Tanzania, Gabon, Congo,
Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South
Africa; Yemen in sw Arabia. Intra-African migrant, breeds in suitable
habitat and occurs widely in the non-breeding season.
Ciconia episcopus WOOLLY-NECKED STORK. Rivers,
lakes, marshes, flooded fields, grasslands. Locally in sw Mali, Senegambia,
Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo,
Benin, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Niger, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., Chad, se Sudan,
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, n Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, e
Tanzania, Gabon, Congo, Angola, Zambia, n Malawi, n Namibia, n Botswana,
se Zimbabwe, ne Mozambique and e S. Africa in e Transvaal, Swaziland and
n Natal. Lowlands to 1400 m from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Burma, Thailand and Indochina, exc. extreme n Vietnam; s to Greater Sunda
Is. (absent from Borneo and Sulawesi) but present in Peleng, Muna, Butung
and Togian islands and the Philippines.
Ciconia stormi STORM'S STORK. Swamps, flooded
grassy areas. Locally in lowlands in Thailand, Sumatra incl. Mentawi
Is., and Borneo. Sometimes included in C. episcopus, but their ranges
overlap extensively and mixed nesting assemblages are unknown.
Ciconia maguari MAGUARI STORK. Marshes, mudflats,
savanna. Lowlands to 500 m e of the Andes from e Colombia, Venezuela,
Guyana and Surinam s through Brazil (exc. Amazonia), n,e,se Bolivia, Paraguay
and Uruguay to Argentina s to Chubut.
Ciconia ciconia WHITE STORK. Grassland, steppe,
savanna, marshes, farms, near human habitation, often nesting on chimneys
or roofs. Formerly more widespread. Locally in continental
Europe e to w Russia and Austria, formerly s Sweden but now absent from
Scandinavia; nw Africa from Morocco e to Tunisia, Turkey, Near East, n,c
Iraq, w,n Iran, e Transcaucasus, Turkestan, Tadzhikistan, s Tibet and w,ne
China. Sporadically in Kenya, s Zambia, w,c Mozambique, Zimbabwe
and S. Africa.
Ciconia boyciana ORIENTAL STORK. Open country, forest. Ne China in Heilungkiang and Kirin, se Siberia in Amurland and Ussuriland, Korea and, formerly, Japan. Sometimes treated as a race of C. ciconia.
Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus BLACK-NECKED STORK. Swamps, rivers, lakes, mangroves. The two subspecies are sometimes treated as separate species.
E. a. asiaticus Lowlands in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri
Lanka, Burma, nw,c,peninsular Thailand and Indochina (exc. n Vietnam).
E. a. australis S New Guinea from Merauke to Port
Moreby, breeding between Digul River and Fly River; islands in Torres Strait;
and n,e Australia from n W. Australia s to Port Hedland and e to n,e Queensland,
s to e New S. Wales to Sydney area.
Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis SADDLE-BILLED STORK.
Rivers, lakes, swamps. South of the Sahara in Senegambia, Mali, Burkina
Faso, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, n Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria,
Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, C. African Rep., s Sudan, n Ethiopia, Eritrea,
Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Gabon, Congo, Zaire,
Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, n,e Botswana and
e S. Africa in n,e Transvaal and e Natal.
Jabiru mycteria JABIRU. Marshes, savanna,
lagoons, estuaries. Locally in lowlands to 500 m in Tabasco, Chiapas,
Campeche, Quintana Roo, Belize; and from Honduras and El Salvador s to
Panama, and from n,e Colombia, Venezuela and Guianas s, mostly e of the
Andes, through e Peru, n,e,se Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay to Uruguay and
n Argentina Vagrant in sc United States.
Leptoptilos javanicus LESSER ADJUTANT. Swampy
forest, mangroves, estuaries, ponds, lakes, farms. Locally in lowlands
in e,s India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, s China, Hainan I., c,peninsular Thailand,
Indochina, Malay Pen., Sumatra, Bangga and Belitung, Java and Borneo.
Leptoptilos crumeniferus MARABOU STORK. Savanna, open areas, near human habitation. Senegambia and s Mauritania, s Mali, Burkina Faso, s Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad and s Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, and s to Gabon, Congo, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and ne S. Africa in Transvaal and Natal.
Leptoptilos dubius GREATER ADJUTANT. Marshes, flooded fields, lakes, open forest. Lowlands in ne India in Bangladesh, Assam and Orissa, Burma, nw,c,peninsular Thailand and Indochina, exc. ne.
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