Heron waiting for a fish in the lake

Herons are medium to large sized birds with long legs and neck. The necks are able to kink in an S shape, due to the modified shape of the sixth vertebrae. The neck is able to retract and extend, and is retracted during flight. The neck is longer in the day herons than the night herons and bitterns. The legs are long and strong and are not feathered from the lower part of the tibia. In flight the legs and feet are held backward. The feet of herons have long thin toes, with three forward pointing ones and one going backward. The bill is generally long and harpoon like.