page_title: List of birds of Trinidad and Tobago
section_title: Herons
hierarchical_section_title: List of birds of Trinidad and Tobago / Herons
caption_attribution_description: English: Green heron (Butorides virescens virescens) young adult, Tobago
context_page_description: A total of 485 species of birds have been confirmed on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. There are few places in the world where so many bird species can be seen in such a small area, many of them unique, very rare, or of particular interest. They range from the many species of hummingbird to the cave-dwelling oilbird and the scarlet ibis.
  The islands are within a few miles of Venezuela, and the species are therefore typical of tropical South America. However, the number of species is relatively low compared to the mainland, as would be expected on small islands.
  The resident breeding birds are augmented in the northern winter by migrants from North America, although the variety of migrant passerines is very limited compared to Central America.
  Except as an entry is cited otherwise, the list of species and the status of each are as determined by the Trinidad & Tobago Bird Status & Distribution Committee as of March 2019. The list's taxonomic treatment and nomenclature are those of the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society.
  Species in the list are common on both main islands except as indicated otherwise.
context_section_description: Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae
  The family Ardeidae contains the bitterns, herons, and egrets. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns tend to be shorter necked and more wary. Members of Ardeidae fly with their necks retracted, unlike other long-necked birds such as storks, ibises, and spoonbills.
caption: Green heron, Tobago
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