Ardea fossil map
Where fossils of Ardea have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 0 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 37.71 million years ago to the present (Priabonian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Ardeidae |
| Named by | Linnaeus 1758 |
| Fossil records | 83 occurrences at 57 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Egypt, Madagascar, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, DR Congo, United Kingdom, Chad, Ethiopia … |
| Rock formations | txn:39541, Gabal Silsila, Gebel Silsila-YCS, Peace River, Alachua, Yorktown |
About Ardea
Ardea is a genus of herons. These herons are generally large in size, typically 80–100 cm or more in length.
These large herons are associated with wetlands where they prey on fish, frogs, and other aquatic species. Most members of this almost worldwide group breed colonially in trees, building large stick nests.
Northern species such as great blue, grey, and purple herons may migrate south in winter, although the first two do so only from areas where the waters freeze.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Ardea (bird) (revision 1346133114), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q310853.
