Green Heron

Green Heron ( Butorides virescens)

The Green Heron ( Butorides virescens) belongs to the family of herons of the order Ciconiiformes ( Ciconiiformes ). He is closely associated with the scarlet macaw ( butorides striatus) from tropical Africa and Asia and is related virescens expected by some scientists as a subspecies Butorides striatus to this.

Appearance

The birds are 44 inches long. They have a blue-green back and wings, the neck is brown with a white vertical line on the front. On the head they wear a black cap. The legs are yellow. Young birds have a braungescheckte camouflage markings.

Dissemination

The Green Heron lives in swamps in Central America and the Caribbean islands. The subspecies Butorides virescens maculatus is there state bird, she has shorter wings. A long -winged subspecies Butorides virescens virescens also lives in the eastern United States, in the Midwest and on the Pacific coast of the USA and Canada. This subspecies pulls in winter in the north of South America. It is a rare Irrgast in Europe.

Way of life

The Little Egret feeds on small fish, frogs, crustaceans and insects, where he lies in wait sitting in shallow water or on a branch on the shore. They can sometimes bait fall on water surface to attract fish. Your reputation is a loud and sudden kyow.

It nests in trees or in bushes, often near water. There are laid 3-5 eggs. Both parents incubate for about 20 days, and pull together the young, which are fledged after 3 weeks.