Species

Green heron

Butorides virescens

A small, dark heron that uses bait — a feather, an insect, a crumb — to lure fish within reach.

Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Intelligence

At a glance

Size: About 41 to 46 cm long
Weight: About 200 to 250 g
Habitat: Ponds, creeks, marsh edges and wooded swamps
Diet: Small fish, frogs, crayfish and insects
In Georgia: Common in summer statewide; a few winter on the coast
Voice: A sharp "skeow"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Small, stocky heron; dark green-grey back; chestnut neck; dark cap; yellow-orange legs
Told apart from: Least bittern, which is smaller with buff wing patches
Told apart from: Young night-herons, which are browner and spotted
Where to look: Crouched on branches or banks over water

Behaviour

Green herons crouch still on branches over water, then lunge at fish. Some drop bait such as insects, feathers or bread onto the water to attract fish, one of the few documented uses of tools in birds.

Why they matter

The green heron's bait-fishing places it among the few birds known to use tools. It lives on small ponds and creeks close to people, making it one of the easiest herons to watch.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A platform of sticks in a tree or shrub near water
Eggs — Usually three to five
Incubation — About 19 to 21 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents; climb out of the nest at about two weeks
Flight — At about three weeks
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Garden ponds attract green herons; netting protects fish without harming the bird.

Misconceptions

Birds cannot use tools. Green herons use bait to fish.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	A few on the coast	Few present	Arriving	Nesting	Nesting	Chicks	Young fledging	Present	Leaving	Last birds	Few present	Few present

Where it lives

Recorded in 82 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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