Herons are generally long-necked, long-legged birds with dagger-like bills, specialised for spearing live aquatic prey. Some feed by stealth or patiently waiting for prey to come within reach, while others feed more actively. Bitterns tend to be cryptically plumaged and favour reedbed habitats, and egrets, although not biologically distinct from herons, tend to have mainly white plumages or decorative plumes. Most species breed colonially, and representatives of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica.