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Birds
Green heron
Green heron · Butorides virescens
The green heron rarely shows itself in the open and hunts with clever tactics along still shores – spot it with patience and a keen eye.
Fact file
- Size
- Around 44 centimetres long, compact body with a weight of about 200 to 250 grams
- Males and females
- Male and female look similar, males in breeding plumage are slightly more intensely coloured
- Sounds
- Deep, rough call, especially when taking off
- Diet
- Eats fish, insects, crustaceans and amphibians – sometimes uses small twigs or insects as bait
- Offspring
- Lays 3 to 5 eggs in stick nests, breeding season mostly May to July
How to identify Green heron
The green heron is a small, sturdily built heron with a body length of about 44 centimetres. At first glance its plumage shows a dark bottle green on the back and a deep chestnut brown breast and underside.
A distinctive feature of the green heron is its short neck, which often stays tucked in when it is perched. In flight the bird can look almost compact. The crown is dark, the face shines greenish to blue black, and in summer the legs and bill show strong yellow to orange tones. In non-breeding plumage the colours are paler and the underside of the body is lighter. It can be confused with the black-crowned night heron – however, the green heron has a redder breast and a shorter neck.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- 2 places where you can see Green heron
Where Green heron live
Discover Green heron on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
