25-3-2017 TUIS CARTAGO, COSTA RICA - GREEN HERON (Butorides virescens)

The Green heron (Butorides virescens) is a small secretive heron that lives along shaded riverbanks or quiet streams in areas of dense vegetation. It is often somewhat secretive but is sometimes to be seen crying "kyow" while flying up a creek. When in the open, it will often flick its short tail nervously, while raising and lowering its crest. The Green heron was long considered conspecific with its sister species the Striated heron (Butorides striata), and together they were called "Green-backed heron".

The neck of the Green heron is often pulled in tight against the body. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey underparts, and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point. Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season. Juveniles are duller, with the head sides, neck, and underparts streaked brown and white, tan-splotched back and wing coverts, and greenish-yellow legs and bill. Hatchlings are covered in down feathers, light grey above, and white on the belly.

1-4-2017 MIAMI, FLORIDA - 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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.