Description: A small and stocky heron with dark plumage. Adults solid chestnut on neck and breast; juveniles streaked on neck. Wing feathers show distinct buff edges making for a sculpted look. Greenish-yellow cere; white mark below eye. Neck usually held compressed for a neckless look, but can be extended to great length. Legs yellow-green; reddish-orange during high breeding plumage. Eye bright yellow.

Range: Widespread breeder in eastern US. Winters in Florida, coastal Texas and California, and throughout Mexico. Less common in southwest; rare in Great Plains states.

Behavior: Solitary and secretive. Sits motionless along edges of ponds and streams where it watches for fish. Moves extremely slowly, then makes explosive neck extension to capture prey. Usually intolerant of people; flies out over water with a loud squawk while ejecting liquefied excreta as white chalky line. Easily overlooked unless actively searched out. Excited birds raise the crest feathers; males erect the neck plumes and swell the throat, call and strut before a female when attempting to mate.

Related or Similar Species: Green Herons are among 12 species of herons and egrets regularly occurring n the US. Only the Least Bittern in this family is smaller. Identification: Once discovered, easy to identify. Hard to confuse with other herons, although juvenile Green Heron is somewhat similar to bitterns. Miscellaneous: Depending on the age of the field guide used, this species could show another name. Little Green Heron was used quite some time ago. Green-backed Heron was used for about a decade when it was considered to be conspecific with the Striated Heron of Japan, but now both are regarded as distinct species again. The closely-related Striated Heron commonly uses bait items to fish; one of the few instances known of animals using tools. Green Herons should be watched closely for similar behavior and documented if observed.

Advice on Finding and Photographing: Look for Green Herons sitting motionless in marshy areas, along pond edges, and near small streams. They often sit near small vegetation that makes them even harder to locate. With a slow, low, and quiet style it is sometimes possible to get close enough for photos. Some Green Herons become sensitized to human activity near community parks and become more tolerant of photographers. Assume a low working position whenever possible as most Green Herons stay low to the ground. Can be worked from car window in many refuges, but the higher shooting position may not be the best. If you can't get close enough to fill the frame with the heron, then use the setting for the overall composition with the heron as the center of interest. Either showing the bird as blending in naturally to a vegetated bank near the water, or contrasted against bright water can work. The overall dark plumage may be troublesome for some camera meters, so understand how to get a proper reading of dark subjects with your brand beforehand. Be careful of lighting around water as it can appear darker than normal, or may throw bright reflections - either condition can fool some metering systems.

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Richard Ditch been looking at birds and taking their photographs since the early 1970's, when he caught the "birding bug" from a friend at work. He was very active as a birder when he lived in New Jersey (1970-1994), maintaining lists of all the birds he saw each year in the state and elsewhere. Rich was a volunteer and field trip leader at the Owl Haven Nature Center (part of the New Jersey Audubon Society) and was a member of the Board of Directors for many years, along with being a frequent contributor to their quarterly magazine and to Records of New Jersey Birds. After moving to Phoenix, AZ in 1994 as a result of a job change, he found the birds to be a lot different and went through a rapid period of learning new species and new forms of species East. Richard is also a very active Member of our PhotoMigrations community and is a regular contributor to our forums. Please feel free to email him HERE and be sure to visit his website located at: Birds in Nature - Images of Wild Birds.