Long-Legged Birds

Most long-legged birds are of the wading bird variety, which use their long limbs to navigate shallow bodies of water for food. However, these aren’t the only birds with long legs, as ratites, like cassowaries and ostriches, are flightless birds that use their legs to run at high speeds.

Different Birds with Long Legs

Here is a list of birds with long legs arranged by height.

Species of Bird	How Tall is It? (in inches)	What Habitat Do They Live In?
Ostrich	83-110	Arid regions like grasslands and savannahs
Southern Cassowary	59-79	Rainforests and similar habitats
Marabou Stork	59-62	Near grasslands, savannahs, and wetlands
Whooping Crane	49-63	Marshes, both freshwater and saltwater
American Flamingo	47-57	Mudflats, saline water bodies like lagoons and inland lakes
Jabiru	47-55	Near aquatic habitats like rivers and ponds
Common Crane	43-47	Near aquatic habitats like wetlands and marshes
Secretary Bird	39-51	Savannahs and open grasslands
White Stork	39-45	Grasslands, as well as wetlands
Great Blue Heron	36-54	Wetlands like flooded meadows, fresh and saltwater marshes, lakes, shorelines, and the swamps of mangrove forests
Gray Heron	35-40	Most shallow aquatic environments like coastal lagoons, ditches, estuaries, flooded areas, lakes, marshes, mountain tarns, ponds, reservoirs, rivers, and seashores
Wood Stork	33-45	Wetlands in tropical and subtropical habitats
Great Egret	31-41	Near aquatic habitats like lakes, rivers, ponds, and swamps
Purple Heron	31-38	Near aquatic habitats with vegetation to perch on, like lagoons, marshes, and some lakes.
Roseate Spoonbill	28-34	Both freshwater and saltwater habitats
Reddish Egret	27-32	Mudflats
Limpkin	25-29	Freshwater marshes, mangroves, and swamps, but also near dry bushlands
American Bittern	23–33	Bogs, marshes, shallow open pools, and wet meadows
Snowy Egret	22-26	Near aquatic habitats like estuaries, lakesides, marshes, pools, riverbanks, and salt marshes
Tricolored Heron	22-30	Swamps and coastal habitats like shorelines and lagoons
Scarlet Ibis	22-25	Wetlands and marshes like mudflats and shorelines
Cattle Egret	18-22	Fields and other grassy habitats, but sometimes seen in shallow water
White-faced Ibis	18-22	Marshes, especially those with low-lying vegetation to perch on
Green Heron	16-18	Small, low-lying wetlands
American Purple Gallinule	10-15	Freshwater marshes with vegetation

How Do the Long Legs Help These Birds?

The long legs of these birds serve multiple functions, including:

Navigation in shallow areas – Wading birds like cranes, ibises, and storks thrive on a diet of aquatic animals like fish, amphibians, and crustaceans. Their long feet help them to hunt in water bodies effectively without submerging themselves, giving them an element of surprise. Their feet also prevent them from sinking or slipping in mud while they wade around.
Regulating Body Temperature – Some birds, like flamingoes, use their feet to lose excess heat. The blood vessels in their legs can adjust blood flow to dissipate or conserve body heat according to the situation.
For A Display of Dominance – Some birds, like the Secretary bird, will kick and take long strides to show superiority over their competition during courtship periods. This also works as a scare tactic against predators.