The green heron (Butorides virescens) is a small heron of North and Central America. Butorides is from Middle English butor "bittern" and Ancient Greek -oides, "resembling", and virescens is Latin for "greenish".

It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the striated heron (Butorides striata); when treated together, they were called "green-backed heron".

Description

thumb|left|Front view showing the neck stripes

thumb|left|The feathers on their wings and back are dark, with green iridescence

The green heron is a relatively small heron; adult body length is about . The neck is often pulled in tight against the body. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, an iridescent greenish back and wings that are gray-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a pair or more of white lines down the front, gray 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 gray above, and white on the belly.

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Taxonomy

This species was formerly often included in B. striata,

Subspecies distinction is uncertain at best. The color variation between populations is less pronounced than between birds of the same population. Migratory populations are longer-winged than those resident year-round, but this cannot be used to delimit subspecies as it is a consequence of differing habits and can be expected to undergo convergent evolution in unrelated populations of this species that just share the same habits. Thus, thorough molecular phylogenetic studies would be required to resolve the question of subspecies delimitation.

The following four subspecies are generally accepted:

  • Butorides virescens virescens <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>

:Breeds from southeastern Canada to central and southern US east of the Rocky Mountains, south through Central America to central Panama and the Caribbean islands. Northern populations migratory, wintering from southernmost US to northern South America.

  • Butorides virescens bahamensis <small>(Brewster, 1888)</small>

:Bahamas. Resident.

  • Butorides virescens anthonyi <small>(Mearns, 1895)</small>

:Breeds in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains, south to northern Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Some resident, most migrate to western Mexico in winter.

  • Butorides virescens frazari <small>(Brewster, 1888)</small>

:Southern Baja California Peninsula, Mexico. Resident.

A further subspecies B. v. maculata <small>(Boddaert, 1783)</small> is generally treated as a synonym of B. v. virescens,

Birds of the nominate subspecies B. v. virescens are rare vagrants to western Europe; for example, a sighting in Pembrokeshire in 2018 was only the second recorded sighting in Wales. Individuals from the Pacific coast of North America may similarly stray as far as Hawaii. Green herons do not exhibit a particular preference for diurnal or nocturnal foraging, often engaging in both. crayfish, prawns, This bait-fishing behavior is common among herons. which are laid in two-day intervals (though the second egg may be laid up to six days later than the first). After the last egg has been laid, both parents incubate for about 19–21 days until hatching, and feed the young birds. The frequency of feedings decreases as the offspring near fledging. The young sometimes start to leave the nest at 16 days of age, but are not fully fledged and able to fend for themselves until 30–35 days old. Sometimes, particularly in the tropical parts of its range, the green heron breeds twice a year.

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File:Green Heron nestlings.jpg|Nestlings

File:Green Heron4.jpg|Subadult retaining some juvenile plumage

File:Green heron (Butorides virescens virescens) young adult.jpg|Young adult B. v. virescens

File:Green Heron at Dunes Golf Course, Sanibel.jpg|Breeding plumage, with neck retracted

File:Green Heron Adult Prado Regional Park.jpg|Adult

File:Green Heron With Crest Raised Key West 16 May 2020.jpg|Adult

File:Green heron in PP (14296).jpg|Hunting in New York

File:Green heron (Butorides virescens) in flight Peten.jpg|in Guatemala

File:Butorides virescens 070506 GWADA.jpg|Hunting with neck extended

File:20230912 green heron point meadows keeney cove PND03302.jpg|Juvenile, Glastonbury, CT USA

File:Juvenile Green Heron in Minnesota.jpg|Subadult in Minnesota

File:Greenheron humboldtpark 20260506.jpg|Adult in habitat, Chicago IL

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References

  • Butorides virescens – Green heron at Animal Diversity Web
  • Green heron – Butorides virescens – USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
  • Green heron at eNature.com
  • Field Guide on Flickr
  • YouTube video of a green heron fishing
  • YouTube Video of a Green Heron drowning a frog before eating it!
  • Bermuda Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources green heron page