Great blue herons are common in marshes. They're vital to a swamp's environment. The great blue heron's long neck and legs allow it to wade into shallow swamp water in pursuit of prey.
Great blue herons
Named for its pink feathers and spoon-shaped beak. Spoonbills filter insects from muddy marsh water with their bills. Spoonbills are fascinating swamp birds. Only America has roseate spoonbills.
Roseate spoonbill
Egrets are herons, and the great egret is smaller than the great blue heron. Great egrets fish in swamps with their beaks. They wade in shallow water or stand stationary to hunt. Great egrets nest alongside other coastal and wetland birds.
Great egrets
Swamp-dwelling osprey. Hawk-like. Ospreys consume a variety of fish. It eats fish and seabirds. Ospreys dive feet-first to grab fish with their hooked talons. Ospreys can dive from 100 ft and hit the ocean at 50 mph.
Osprey
Named after its voice, the whooping crane. Largest and most endangered bird in the US. Cranes breed in Canada in summer and Texas in winter. Long tracheas make whooping cranes' bugle sound.
Whooping Crane
American bitterns are herons that live in shallow marshes and swamps. Bitterns are cautious, secretive swamp birds that hunt in tall grass. They rarely fly openly. Bitterns make a clack-and-gulp call.
American bittern
Rare swamp birds, black-necked stilts. Long legs and a small body distinguish this bird. Long-legged flying. Black-and-white. Stilts nest in marshes. Black-necked stilts' piercing keek can frighten bystanders.
Black-necked stilt
In reeds and cattails, swamp sparrows live. Birdsongs trill amid the swamp. The swamp sparrow looks like other sparrows but has longer legs. In shallow water, they can wade and hunt insects. Swamp sparrows abound.
Swamp sparrows
Green Herons frequent marshes. They slouch over in greenery. They seek near coastlines and shallows with their green feathers. The green heron has a long neck, legs, and bill to spear fish.