Green Heron

One sharp skeow bursts out from the heron—brief, high, and easy to hear when the bird flushes.

Breeds across the southern half of Canada south through most of the contiguous United States, parts of the Caribbean, and Central America. Northern breeders migrate to the Gulf Coast, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America for the winter, while birds in the extreme South and Caribbean are year-round residents.

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.

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.