Egret or Heron

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Whilst a seasoned birder may not have difficulty in determining whether a bird is a heron or egret, a novice may find those two waterbirds confusable. Like pigeon and dove, heron and egret belong to the same family but their name are based on superficial appearance instead of on biological basis.

egret or heron, little egret, Egretta garzetta, picture of egret
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

Generally, egrets are white in colour with black legs and they are comparatively smaller than herons. On the other hand, herons are much colourful birds and larger than egrets. Take a look at the pictures of Little Egret (above) and Purple Heron (below) because they nicely depicted the typical egret and heron features. 

heron or egret, purple heron, Ardea purpurea, image of heron
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

Keep in mind, however, that some exceptions do occur; for example, a fairly small sized heron or an egret with a massive body size inhabits this region.

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