The green heron is a small, crow-like wading bird with a chestnut neck and grayish-green back. (Matt Knoth/Flickr)
The green heron is a small, crow-like wading bird with a chestnut neck and grayish-green back. It visits the Chesapeake Bay region’s marshes and wetlands from spring through autumn.
Appearance:
Small, crow-like body
Reddish or chestnut head and neck
Glossy, greenish-black cap, sometimes raised in a shaggy crest
Grayish-green back and wings. The wing feathers are edged in buff.
Brownish-gray underparts
Pointed, spear-like bill is yellow at the base and brownish-black at the tip
White and black streaks on the chin, throat and upper breast
Yellow legs and feet. The male’s legs turn orange during breeding season.
Grows to about 18 inches with a wingspan of about 26 inches
Habitat:
Lives in tidal wetlands, including swamps, marshes and the edges of creeks and rivers
Also found along lakes, ponds and wooded streams
Rarely seen because it is shy and secretive
Range:
Visits the Chesapeake Bay region from spring through autumn
Winters in southern coastal swamps
Feeding:
Eats mostly fish and invertebrates, but will also feed on frogs, snakes and amphibians
Stalks its prey by silently standing at the edge of the water with its neck folded back on its shoulders. It then quickly lunges into the water and grabs or stabs its prey with its spear-like bill.
Sometimes drops twigs, bread or insects onto the water to lure fish to the surface. It is one of the few birds that will use bait to attract prey.
Predators:
Crows and snakes prey upon heron eggs
Large birds of prey may eat adult green herons
Flight:
Resembles a crow when flying
Flies with slow, steady wingbeats
Look for chestnut neck held in a bunched, S-shaped position in flight
Voice:
Very vocal
Calls include a series of kucks or a loud kyow, skow or skuck
Green Heron courtesy of J.P. Lawrence, Avian Vocalizations Center
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Considered semi-colonial because it may create a nest alone or in a colony with other herons
Usually begins arriving at breeding areas in early April
During courtship, the male extends his neck feathers and swells his throat in a sharp call, then hops from one foot to the other in front of a female
Nests in shrubs and small trees, as well as on duck blinds
Females lay 3-6 eggs twice per year
Both parents incubate the eggs for about 23 days
Young stay in the nest until they are able to fly, about 30 days after hatching
Most green herons depart their breeding areas from mid-July to mid-October
May live up to eight years
Other Facts:
When alarmed, a green heron may stretch its neck, raise its crest and jerk its tail. It will also call a piercing skew.
