page_title: List of birds of Cyprus
section_title: Herons, egrets, and bitterns
hierarchical_section_title: List of birds of Cyprus / Herons, egrets, and bitterns
caption_attribution_description: English: Purple heron in Kabini
context_page_description: This is a list of the bird species recorded in Cyprus. The avifauna of Cyprus include a total of 414 species. Of these, 22 species are globally threatened.
  This list's taxonomic treatment and nomenclature follow the conventions of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 2019 edition. The family accounts at the beginning of each heading reflect this taxonomy, as do the species counts found in each family account. Introduced and accidental species are included in the total counts for Cyprus.
  The following tags have been used to highlight several categories. The commonly occurring native species do not fall into any of these categories.
  Accidental - a species that rarely or accidentally occurs in Cyprus
  Extirpated - a species no longer found in Cyprus but found elsewhere
context_section_description: Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae
  The family Ardeidae contains the herons, egrets and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more secretive. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises and spoonbills.
  Great bittern, Botaurus stellaris
  Little bittern, Ixobrychus minutus
  Gray heron, Ardea cinerea
  Purple heron, Ardea purpurea
  Great egret, Ardea alba
  Little egret, Egretta garzetta
  Western reef-heron, Egretta gularis (A)
  Cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis
  Squacco heron, Ardeola ralloides
  Striated heron, Butorides striata (A)
  Black-crowned night-heron, Nycticorax nycticorax
caption: Purple heron
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