Maps of the birds of the Western Palearctic Region

Egretta alba
Marshes, swamps, mangroves, reedbeds, lakes, rivers.
It was listed as Ardea alba by Mayr and Cottrell (1979. Peters' Check-list of Birds of the World, vol. 1, 2nd ed. pp. 203-204).
A. a. alba From s Czechoslovakia, Austria and Balkans e across Turkey, n to Ukraine, lower Volga and lower Ural rivers, n to Kazakhstan and Kirghiz steppes, Mongolia and se Siberia in Transbaicalia, s Amurland and Ussuriland to n Japan.
A. a. modesta From Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Manchuria, Korea, s Japan, Philippines, Celebes, Moluccas, s through s Asia, E. Indies (vagrants?) and New Guinea to Solomon Is. (Bougainville, Rennell), Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand (breeding on S. Island near Okarito).
A. a. modesta may be a separate species. It differs from A. a. alba in behavior and is smaller than the other races.
A. a. melanorhynchos Locally in Africa from s Mauritania, Senegambia, s Mali, se Niger, C. African Rep., n Ethiopia s to c Namibia, n Botswana and e,s Africa, and in lowlands to 800 m on Mohéli I. in the Comoro Is. and Madagascar. Confirmed breeding in Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Somalia, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Africa; Comoros, Madagascar.
A. a. egretta Locally in lowlands to 2600 m from s Oregon, s Idaho, se Saskatchewan, sw Manitoba, c Minnesota, s Ontario, New York and New England s through U.S., Middle America, W. Indies and S. America to s Chile at the Straits of Magellan and s Argentina in Santa Cruz.

Ardea cinerea
Lakes, marshes, swamps, rivers, flooded fields, mangroves.
A. c. cinerea From Outer Hebrides, British Isles and nw,s Scandinavia e across c Russia and c Siberia to Sakhalin and Japan, s to Canary Is., and from Morocco to Tunisia; n Mediterranean region, Nile delta, Red Sea coast, Turkey, Iraq, n Iran, n Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, se Asia, Sumatra, Lingga Arch., Java, Lesser Sunda Is., Hainan and Taiwan. Occurs widely in Africa with breeding confirmed in Senegambia, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Ghana, s Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa; also recorded in Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., Gabon, Congo, Zaire and Mozambique; breeds on the Aldabra Is. and in Madagascar. European birds winter in Africa between the Sahara to the Equator. Most breeding colonies are in southern Africa, north to the Equator.
A. c. monicae has been recognized as a separate subspecies by some authors because it breeds on the Banc d'Arguin islands off nw Mauritania and therefore does not interbreed with cinerea. It is known from only two specimens; its status is uncertain.

Ardea herodias
Marshes, lakes, swamps, rivers, lagoons, coasts, mangroves.
Populations in the Caribbean are polymorphic and the white morph formerly was treated as a separate species, A. occidentalis, the Great White Heron, now usually considered a race of herodias, as below.
The name "Great White Heron" would be appropriate for Ardea alba, formerly called the Great Egret.
A. h. herodias From sc,se Alaska, coastal, w British Columbia, n Alberta, s Keewatin, c Manitoba, s Ontario, s Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward I. and Nova Scotia s through U.S. and n Mexico to Guerrero, Veracruz, Gulf coast and interior s Florida; Galapagos Is.
A. h. occidentalis S coastal Florida, Florida Keys, Cuba, I. of Pines, Virgin Is. on St. Thomas and Anegada; coast of Yucatán Pen., and I. Los Roques off n Venezuela.

Ardea melanocephala
Grassland, savanna. Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, s Mauritania, s Mali, Burkina Faso, s Niger, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, c,s Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Yemen, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozamique, Gabon, Congo, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and s to s S. Africa.

Ardea purpurea
Marshes, swamps, reedbeds, flooded fields, lakes, mangroves.
The Purple Heron breeds locally and migrates to many areas south of the breeding grounds. The geographic variation is not well understood and there is uncertainty about the validity and ranges of the several subspecies that have been described. Breeding colonies are sparsely distributed and the following distribution may include records of migrants and wintering birds.
A. p. purpurea Local colonies from Europe s to Spain and Portugal, n to France, Netherlands, Germany and Poland, e across s Russia n to Ukraine, lower Volga and lower Ural rivers, in the s, n to Kazakhstan and s Kirghiz steppes e to Lake Balkash. From Pakistan and India in lowlands, Nepal, Sri Lanka, s,se,e China, Hainan I., and se Siberia; s to a few colonies in nw Africa from n Morocco e to Algeria; Nile Valley; n Mediterranean region, Sardinia, n Egypt, Turkey, Lake Huleh in Israel, Near and Middle East in river valleys, nw Arabia, Andaman and Nicobar is., se Asia, Sumatra and adj. islands, Lingga Arch., Java and Kangean Is., Borneo, Sulawesi, Peleng and Butung is., Lesser Sunda is. of Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Roti; Buru I. in s Moluccas; Philippines. Senegambia, Mali and possibly nw Zaire. From se Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and s Somalia s through Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, interior Tanzania, se Zaire, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, and w Zimbabwe to S. Africa in e,s Cape Province. Occurs in other African countries but breeding not confirmed. Lowlands to 1800 m of Madagascar; Seychelles. Incl. madagascariensis. Wintering birds from the north occur widely in Africa.
A. p. bournei São Tiago I. in the Cape Verde Is. Ca. 200 pairs. May be a separate species, but its status is unclear.

Ardea goliath
Lakes, marshes, swamps, mangroves, coasts.
Senegambia, s Mauritania, s Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. African Rep., Chad, s Sudan, se Egypt, coastal Ethiopia Eritrea, Djibouti, nw,s Somalia, sw Arabia in Yemen, ne Zaire, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Mafia I., Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Gabon, Congo, s Angola, ne Namibia, n,e Botswana, Zimbabwe, to e S. Africa in Transvaal, Orange Free State and nc Cape Prov.; s Iraq
in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley and s Iran.