A genus of large wading birds commonly known as herons, characterized by long legs, long necks, and sharp beaks.
From Latin ardea meaning 'heron,' a word of uncertain origin that may be onomatopoetic or derived from an Indo-European root referring to the bird's distinctive features.
Ancient Romans used the same word for herons that we still use in modern scientific names—Ardea is one of the oldest continuously used animal names in taxonomy, connecting Pliny the Elder's Natural History directly to today's bird guides.
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