Green Heron

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.