1. Different families and genera

Egrets belong to the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrates, family Heronidae, and genus Egret.

Herons belong to the phylum Chordata, class Birds, order Storks, family Heronidae, and genus Heron.

2. Different living habits. Some species of egrets have courtship performances, including showing off their feathers. Egrets nest in large flocks and are defenseless. As a result, they are on the verge of extinction due to excessive hunting by humans. Later, people took strict protective measures, and the number of egrets increased again. Egrets are wading birds that frequent swamps, lakes, humid forests and other wetland environments, preying on small fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and crustaceans in shallow water. Builds large, messy nests in trees or shrubs, or on the ground.

Herons move in pairs and small groups, gathering in large groups during migration and winter, and sometimes mixed with egrets. Often wading alone in shallow water, or standing still for a long time by the water, with the neck often bent between the shoulders, and often standing with one foot and the other foot tucked under the abdomen, standing up to Not moving for hours. When flying, the wings flap slowly, the neck is constricted into a 'Z' shape, and the legs are stretched straight back, trailing far behind the tail. At night, they often roost in groups on tall trees to rest.

3. Different distribution ranges

Egret China has 20 species of birds in the family Aridae, among which those of the genus Egret are the most precious. Sanduoqiao Village, Baishiyi Town, Jiulongpo District, Chongqing, has the country's first Egret Nature Reserve. There are more than 20,000 herons of various species in the area. There are 10 types of herons in Xiamen, accounting for 50% of the total species of herons in China. Among them, there are five species of the genus Egret, which reflects that Xiamen's geographical location and wetland environment are typical and representative in the distribution of heron resources.

Herons are distributed in Africa, Madagascar, and Eurasia, from the British Isles eastward to the Far East Coast, Sakhalin Island and Japan, and southward to North Korea, Mongolia, Iraq, Iran, India, and China and some countries in Indochina.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Egret

Baidu Encyclopedia - Heron