Most herons have narrow heads, long slender necks, and sticklike legs that are similar to the legs of cranes and storks. Some herons have long crests and plumes on their throats and bodies. Herons live on all continents except Antarctica. In flight, herons stretch their long legs straight out behind them and curl their heads between their shoulders. Cranes, storks, and ibises fly with their necks extended.
Herons usually nest and roost in flocks, but they hunt food alone.
Their nesting places are called heronries. The nests consist of loose, crude masses of sticks built in treetops or in bushes. The female lays three to six eggs. Young herons are helpless for a few weeks after they hatch. Their parents carry food to the young birds until they can fly.