Stork Pelican Egret Heron

These are large birds and can easily be spotted around wetlands of India and mostly the habitat is similar for each one of them.

Stork : Out of 6 types Storks, Oriental and White Storks are rare.
Flamingo : They are mostly same in appearance but are categorized as Lesser and Greater Flamingos with difference in size and colour of beak
Egret : 6 variety with difference in size, Cattle Egret is smallest and Great Egret is biggest among them. Western and Pacific Reef Egrets are slightly different in colour during breeding season and are found in coastal lines.
Pelican : There are 3 variety of Pelicans found [ Great white, Dalmation and Spot-Billed ]. Great White Pelicans are found Gujrat, Rajasthan, Haryana and other staggered parts of India and is most common of Pelicans. Dalmation pelican often are found with the group of Great White but Spot-Billed are difficult to spot.
Heron / Bittern: Similar to Egrets but their 11 variety can be separated in two categories where few are large in size [Grey and Purple Heron] are most common and can easily be spotted and rest are smaller in size [Little, Pond and Night Herons are the common ones]  Bitterns are similar to these small herons and are rather not so common, but are always found with the group of smaller herons.
Ibis : 2 varieties out of 3 are mostly similar [ Black and Glossy Ibis ]  whereas Black headed Ibis has got white body except for the neck and head.
Openbill : Very similar to White Stork and the unique gap between its upper and lower beak separates them from other storks.
Spoonbill : Spoonbills, as the name suggests, they have a spoon like beak.
Adjutant : Their broad long beak separates them from other Storks and also the Greater Adjutants have gular pouch and are absent in Lessers.

SlNoBird NameFamily NameRecord Location and StatusPreview
26Black BitternBittern
27Cinnamon BitternBittern
28Great BitternBittern
29Little BitternBittern
30Yellow BitternBittern
234Cattle EgretEgretEntire North India
235Great EgretEgretEntire North India
236Intermediate EgretEgretBharatpur
237Little EgretEgretEntire North India
238Pacific Reef EgretEgret
239Western Reef EgretEgret
271Greater FlamingoFlamingoSultanpur Fields
272Lesser FlamingoFlamingo
400Black crowned Night HeronHeronSrinagar, Tamilnadu
401Chinese Pond HeronHeron
402Goliath HeronHeron
403Great billed HeronHeronNot Recorded in India
404Grey HeronHeronEntire North India
405Indian Pond HeronHeronEntire North India
406Little HeronHeronEntire North India
407Malayan Night HeronHeron
408Purple HeronHeronEntire North India
409Squacco HeronHeronNot Recorded in India
410White billed HeronHeron
427Black headed IbisIbisBharatpur, Tamilnadu
428Black IbisIbisBharatpur, Haryana
429Glossy IbisIbisBharatpur
430IbisbillIbisbill
613Asian OpenbillOpenbillBharatpur, Gangatic Belt
687Dalmatian PelicanPelican
688Great White PelicanPelicanBharatpur
689Sopt billed PelicanPelican
945Eurasian SpoonbillSpoonbillBharatpur, Sultanpur
967Black necked StorkStorkBharatpur, Sultanpur
968Black StorkStorkRanthombhor
969Oriental StorkStork
970Painted StorkStorkEntire North India
971White StorkStork
972Wooly necked StorkStorkSultanpur Fields, Nagarhole
1281Greater AdjutantAdjutant
1282Lesser AdjutantAdjutant

ALBUM (Click on anyone of them to view)