Herons and Egrets

The herons are the long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 64 recognized species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons.
Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they are mainly white or have decorative plumes in breeding plumage.
Herons, by evolutionary adaptation, have long beaks.