Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Green Heron (Butorides virescens)
Green Heron

Green Heron

Butorides virescens

The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a small, secretive wader, cloaked in an iridescent greenish-black cap and a rich chestnut neck. Its wings are a tapestry of grey-black that transitions into hues of green or blue. The adult's plumage is complemented by grey underparts and short yellow legs, while its bill is a dark, pointed instrument of precision. Females are generally smaller and exhibit less vibrant plumage, especially during the breeding season. Juveniles present a more muted appearance with streaked brown and white head sides, neck, and underparts, and their legs and bill bear a greenish-yellow tinge.

Identification Tips

  • Adult length: Approximately 44 cm (17 inches)
  • Wingspan: 25.2–26.8 inches (64–68 cm)
  • Weight: Around 8.5 oz (240 g)
  • Distinguishing features include a glossy greenish-black cap, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, and short yellow legs.

Habitat

The Green Heron favors small wetlands nestled within low-lying areas, where it can be most often observed during the twilight hours of dusk and dawn.

Distribution

This heron is native to North and Central America, with migratory populations moving between breeding and wintering grounds. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe and may occasionally stray as far as Hawaii from the Pacific coast of North America.

Behaviour

The Green Heron is a solitary feeder, often seen standing motionless on the shore or perched on branches, patiently awaiting its prey. It is known for its remarkable use of tools, such as dropping bait onto the water's surface to lure fish—a testament to its ingenuity.

Song & Calls

The call of the Green Heron is a sharp and sudden "kyow," with a series of softer "kuk" calls. During courtship, males emit a variety of sounds including "raah-rahh," "whoom-whoom-whoom," and "aroo-aaroo" to attract a mate.

Breeding

These herons are seasonally monogamous, with pairs forming in the breeding range after males perform elaborate courtship displays. They nest in forest and swamp patches, constructing platforms of sticks, often in shrubs or trees. Clutches typically consist of 2–6 pale green eggs, incubated by both parents.

Similar Species

The Green Heron can be confused with its sister species, the Striated Heron (Butorides striata), with which it was once considered conspecific under the name "green-backed heron."

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Green Heron is varied, including small fish, frogs, aquatic arthropods, and any invertebrate or vertebrate prey within its grasp. It is an opportunistic feeder, also consuming leeches, earthworms, dragonflies, damselflies, waterbugs, grasshoppers, spiders, crayfish, prawns, mice, other rodents, lizards, tadpoles, and snakes.

Conservation status

The Green Heron is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that, at present, it does not face any immediate threat of population decline that would warrant a higher risk category.

Green Heron Sounds



Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Green Heron Fun Facts

Did you know?
Green Herons have been known to lure fish to the surface (to catch) using bread, insects and feathers.

Green Herons on Birda

Sightings

More Herons, Bitterns

A photo of a Agami Heron (Agamia agami)

Agami Heron

Agamia agami
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.