Examples of birds with long necks include the American flamingo, Bewick’s swan, black swan, black-headed heron, and black-necked stork.
The long-necked bird is a common name for any bird with a neck that is unusually long in proportion to the size of its body. Some birds with notably long necks are the swan, goose, and heron.
Although they come in all shapes and sizes, these birds are known for their tall stature and slender build. Their elongated necks allow them to reach food sources that other birds cannot, making them successful predators and scavengers.
In addition, having a long neck also helps these birds stay safe by allowing them to see danger from a distance.
Let’s take a look at birds with long necks.
Examples of Birds with Long Necks
1. American Flamingo
| Scientific Name | Phoenicopterus ruber |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | the Caribbean and along the northern coast of South America |
The American flamingo is a large species of flamingo that is native to the Americas. It has a long, curved neck and pink plumage.
The bird is commonly found in wetlands, where it feeds on shrimp, crustaceans, and other small invertebrates.
2. Bewick’s Swan
| Scientific Name | Cygnus columbianus bewickii |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | the Kola Peninsula east throughout arctic northern Siberia |
This bird is also known as the tundra swan. It is a small white swan that has a black bill and legs. The Bewick’s swan is the smallest member of the genus Cygnus. It measures about 4.6 feet long and weighs around 10-12 pounds.
The neck of this bird is about 2/3 of its body length. Bewick’s swans are found in the Arctic tundra and breed in Russia, Alaska, and Canada.
3. Black Swan
| Scientific Name | Cygnus atratus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southwest Australia |
The black swan is a species of swan that is native to Australia. It is the only member of the genus Cygnus to occur in the Southern Hemisphere. The black swan is a large bird with a wingspan of up to 3.1 meters (10 feet).
Its body can reach up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) in length and its neck can be up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) long. The black swan is mostly black with white feathers on its wings.
Related Article: Do Black Swan Have Webbed Feet?
4. Black-Headed Heron
| Scientific Name | Ardea melanocephala |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa South of the Sahara |
The black-headed heron is a long-necked bird that is found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is a tall bird with a wingspan of up to six feet. Its neck is black with a white stripe running down the center.
The black-headed heron preys on fish, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals.
5. Black-Necked Stork
| Scientific Name | Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | eastern Australia |
The black-necked stork is a large wading bird found in the wetlands of Australia and New Guinea. It has a long, curved neck and bill that help it to reach its food sources, which include small mammals, reptiles, and fish.
6. Cattle Egret
| Scientific Name | Bubulcus ibis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | southern Canada south to South America and the Caribbean. It is also found in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa |
The cattle egret is a small white bird that is often found near livestock. It has a long, thin neck and a sharp beak that it uses to catch insects.
7. European Spoonbill
| Scientific Name | Platalea leucorodia |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Europe, Asia, and Africa |
The European spoonbill is a large wading bird with a long, curved neck. It is found in wetlands across Europe and Asia.
The spoonbill gets its name from its bill, which is shaped like a spoon. It uses this bill to filter food out of the water.
8. Giant Ibis
| Scientific Name | Thaumatibis gigantea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos |
The giant ibis is a bird that is found in the forests of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It is the largest member of the ibis family, and its neck can grow up to four feet long. The giant ibis feeds on fish, frogs, snakes, and insects.
9. Goliath Heron
| Scientific Name | Ardea goliath |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | sub-Saharan Africa |
The Goliath heron is the largest member of the heron family. It is a massive bird, with a wingspan of up to 7 feet and a body length of up to 5 feet. The neck of this bird can be up to 3.5 feet long, making it nearly half the length of its body.
The Goliath heron is found in Africa, where it lives near bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, and wetlands. This bird preys on fish, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals.
10. Gray Heron
| Scientific Name | Ardea cinerea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa |
The gray heron is a long-necked bird that is found in many parts of the world. It has a gray plumage and a white head and neck. This bird can grow to be about 4 feet tall.
11. Great Blue Heron
| Scientific Name | Ardea herodias |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean to South America |
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird that can be found in North and Central America. It has a wingspan of up to 79 inches and a neck that can measure up to 18 inches long.
12. Great Egret
| Scientific Name | Ardea alba |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | West Indies or southern Central America |
The Great Egret is a large wading bird that can be found in wetlands all over the world. It has a long, yellow bill and a neck that can be nearly as long as its body.
The Great Egret uses its neck to help it hunt for fish, amphibians, and reptiles. When it spots its prey, it stalks forward slowly before striking with lightning speed.
13. Greater Flamingo
| Scientific Name | Phoenicopterus roseus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | northwest India, the Middle East, the western Mediterranean, and Africa |
The greater flamingo is the largest member of the flamingo family. It is a tall bird, measuring up to five feet in height. Its neck can be up to four feet long, making it one of the longest-necked birds in the world.
The greater flamingo is found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. It feeds on small animals, such as shrimp and crayfish.
14. Jabiru
| Scientific Name | Jabiru mycteria |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes |
The Jabiru is a stork-like bird that is found in the wetlands of Central and South America. It is the tallest flying bird in the Americas, with a wingspan that can reach up to 12 feet.
The Jabiru has a long, thick neck that can be up to four feet in length. This neck helps the Jabiru wade through water to find food.
15. Kori Bustard
| Scientific Name | Ardeotis kori |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | throughout southern Africa, except in densely wooded areas |
The Kori bustard is the heaviest flying bird in the world. It is found in Africa and can weigh up to 19 kg (42 lb). The male of the species has a long neck that can be up to 1 m (3 ft) in length.
16. Limpkin
| Scientific Name | Aramus guarauna |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Florida and southern Georgia |
The limpkin is a wading bird that can be found in swamps and marshes throughout the Americas. It has a long, curved neck that it uses to reach into the water to snag snails, frogs, and other small prey.
17. Little Blue Heron
| Scientific Name | Egretta caerulea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands |
The Little Blue Heron is a wading bird that can be found in marshes and wetlands across North and South America. This heron has a bluish-gray body and a long, thin neck. It uses its neck to help it reach fish and other small prey that it feeds on.
18. Marabou Stork
| Scientific Name | Leptoptilos crumenifer |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Sub-Saharan Africa |
The Marabou Stork is a huge bird that can grow up to five feet tall. It has a wingspan of up to ten feet, and its neck can be up to three feet long. The Marabou Stork is found in Africa, where it feeds on carrion and sometimes on small mammals and reptiles.
19. Ostrich
| Scientific Name | Struthio camelus |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa |
The ostrich is the largest living bird in the world. It is also the fastest bird, able to run up to 70 kilometers per hour. The neck of an ostrich can be up to two meters long, making it about one-third of the bird’s total body length.
20. Purple Heron
| Scientific Name | Ardea purpurea |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Europe, Asia and Africa |
The Purple Heron is a wading bird that can be found in Africa, Europe, and Asia. It gets its name from the purple plumage on its head and neck. This heron has a long, curved neck that it uses to spear fish from ponds and streams.
21. Red Egret
| Scientific Name | Egretta rufescens |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Mexico, the Caribbean, the coast of northern South America, and the West Indies |
The red egret is a type of heron that is found in the wetlands of North and South America. It gets its name from its reddish plumage, which is used to attract mates.
The red egret has a long, thin neck that it uses to scan the water for prey. When it spots an animal, it will quickly snatch it up with its beak.
22. Roseate Spoonbill
| Scientific Name | Platalea ajaja |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | throughout the entire Gulf of Mexico coastline, south to Central America, South America, and the West Indies |
The roseate spoonbill is a large wading bird that can be found in the southeastern United States. It has a long, pink neck and bill that it uses to filter food from the water.
23. Sandhill Crane
| Scientific Name | Grus canadensis |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | North America |
The sandhill crane is a large bird with a long neck and legs. It is found in North America, where it breeds in open areas such as fields, meadows, and marshes.
The sandhill crane is a protected species, as its populations have declined due to hunting and habitat loss.
24. Scarlet Ibis
| Scientific Name | Eudocimus ruber |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | northern South America southward along the coast of Brazil |
The Scarlet Ibis is a beautiful bird that is native to the coasts of South America. It gets its name from its striking red feathers, which are used to attract mates.
The Scarlet Ibis is a wading bird, meaning it spends most of its time in the water. It has a long, curved beak that it uses to catch fish and other small prey.
25. Snowy Egret
| Scientific Name | Egretta thula |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | the United States and southern Canada, south through Central America, the West Indies, South America, and Argentina |
The Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) is a small white heron. It is one of the most well-known species of egret. The Snowy Egret has a long, thin neck and legs, and a black bill. It is a wading bird, meaning it spends most of its time in shallow water in search of food.
26. Stork
| Scientific Name | Ciconiidae |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Africa, Asia, and Europe |
The stork is a large bird that can be found in many parts of the world. It has a long neck and legs, and it uses its beak to eat fish, amphibians, and small mammals.
27. Tricolored Heron
| Scientific Name | Egretta tricolor |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | coastal parts of the Americas |
The tricolored heron, also known as the Louisiana heron, is a wading bird that can be found in coastal areas of the southeastern United States.
It is a medium-sized heron with a length of about three feet. The neck is gray with white streaks and the head is white with a black stripe down the center.
28. White-Faced Ibis
| Scientific Name | Plegadis chihi |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Utah, Texas, and Louisiana |
The white-faced ibis is a wading bird that can be found in marshy areas across North and South America. It gets its name from the striking white plumage around its face. This bird has a long, curved bill that it uses to feed on insects, frogs, and small mammals.
29. Whooping Crane
| Scientific Name | Grus americana |
| Type of Animal | Bird |
| Range | Wood Buffalo National Park |
The whooping crane is the tallest bird in North America. Standing at a height of five feet, this crane has a wingspan of seven feet. The long neck of the whooping crane helps it spot prey from a distance and also allows the crane to reach into the water to catch fish.
Conclusion
All of the birds discussed in this article have one thing in common: their long necks. These birds use their long necks to reach food sources that are high up or buried deep in the water. Some of these birds are native to certain parts of the world, while others have been introduced to other parts of the world.
Hi, I’m Garreth. Living in South Africa I’ve had the pleasure of seeing most of these animals up close and personal. When I was younger I always wanted to be a game ranger but unfortunately, life happens and now at least I get to write about them and tell you my experiences.