The Green Heron is a small bird (44 cm.) that likes to stalk it’s pray. Native populations can be found all over Costa Rica as well as in most of Central America. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey under parts and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point. These birds appear in their breeding ranges at the same time they did 100 years ago. They are quite common in habitats that go along water bodies such as mangroves, beaches and rivers.
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. The Green Heron is relatively small their adult body length is about 44 cm. The oldest know wild green heron was a banded bird that was captured when it was almost 8 years old. Yet there is very little information on lifespan in these birds.
This 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. During courtship, the male makes noisy wing beats and calls in flight, and sometimes calls to the female before landing again. The clutch is usually 2-5, rarely up to 8 bluish-white glossy eggs. After the last egg has been laid, both parents incubate for about 19-25 days until hatching, and feed the young birds. The young sometimes start to leave the nest at 16 days of age, but definitely leave until 30-35 days old.
It is known that green herons were sometimes hunted for food. But the most impact is caused by fish hatcheries that kill green herons to prevent them eating their young fish. As you can see human activities have had their effect on these guys.
Green herons live as far north as southern Canada and as far south as northern South America. Most populations are migratory.
Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!
