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To the Beauty of Birds

The Green Heron Butorides virescens belongs to the genus Butorides or Green-backed herons. On photography trip to the Shipley Nature Preserve, Huntington Beach, CA, there was a juvenile Green Heron was standing nearby on a log in the marsh (5957, 5983). On my way out I showed it to another photographer on the way in and was told that both parents are there also. So I returned the next day, found an isolated edge of the marsh and just waited. Eventually an adult Green Heron dropped down on a nearby and hopped from log to log enough to get multiple close up photos. These photos were taken in late June.

The green heron's call is a loud and sudden kyow; it also makes a series of more subdued kuk calls. During courtship, the male gives a raah-rahh call with wide-open bill, makes noisy wingbeats and whoom-whoom-whoom calls in flight, and sometimes calls roo-roo to the female before landing again. While sitting, an aaroo-aaroo courtship call is also given.

The habitat of the green heron is small wetlands in low-lying areas. The species is most conspicuous during dusk and dawn, and if anything these birds are nocturnal rather than diurnal, preferring to retreat to sheltered areas in daytime. They feed actively during the day, however, if hungry or provisioning young. Shore-living individuals adapt to the rhythm of the tides. They mainly eat small fish, frogs and aquatic arthropods, but may take any invertebrate or vertebrate prey they can catch, including such animals like leeches and mice. Green herons are intolerant of other birds – including conspecifics – when feeding and are not seen to forage in groups. They typically stand still on shore or in shallow water or perch upon branches and await prey. Sometimes they drop food, insects, or other small objects on the water's surface to attract fish, making them one of the few known tool-using species. This feeding method has led some to title the green and closely related striated heron as among the world's most intelligent birds. They are able to hover briefly to catch prey.

Green herons are one of the few species of animal known to use tools. In particular, they commonly use bread crusts, insects, or other items as bait. The bait is dropped onto the surface of a body of water in order to lure fish. When a fish takes the bait, the green heron will then grab and eat the fish.

Photos 6700 and 6707 were taken at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, Huntington Beach, CA in late July. Photo 8133 was taken at High Island, TX. Photos in the 9000 series were taken at Selva Verde in Costa Rica. THe 100 seris photos were taken in Tobago.

Green Heron