Green Heron
Learn to identify the Green Heron by ear. Master the "skow-skow-skow" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Green Heron sounds like
A small, stocky heron that often appears hunch-shouldered with its neck drawn in. Up close the bird flashes rich colors: a glossy green-black cap and back, deep chestnut neck and chest, slate wings edged in teal, and a dagger-like bill ideal for spearing prey. Green Herons are famous for their patience, standing statue-still at the water’s edge before striking lightning-fast at fish and amphibians. They are also one of the few birds documented using tools—dropping insects, feathers, or twigs onto the water surface to lure fish within reach.
“skow-skow-skow”
How to tell it apart
Where you'll hear it
Shallow fresh or brackish wetlands including ponds, marshes, mangrove edges, slow streams, canals, and vegetated lake margins. Requires overhanging branches or emergent vegetation for perches and nest sites.
Migratory in the north: arrives in spring (Apr–May), breeds through summer, and departs by early fall (Aug–Oct). Year-round presence in subtropical and tropical parts of range.
Similar species
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Bulkier with shorter neck and thick gray body.
Least Bittern
Much smaller (sparrow-sized) with buffy-orange tones.
Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
Old World counterpart with grayer neck and white throat line.