Green Heron

Overview
Green Heron: Small heron with gray-green upperparts. Head, neck, upper breast are chestnut-brown, belly is paler brown. Head has green-black cap with small crest. Throat is white and neck has white central stripe. Bill is two-toned with dark upper mandible and yellow lower mandible. Direct flight.

Range and Habitat
Green Heron: Breeds across most of the U.S.; spends winters in the southern U.S. south to Venezuela, Panama, and the West Indies. Preferred habitats include shoreline habitats along rivers, oceans, lakes, and ponds.

The Green Heron has a large range, estimated globally at 7,900,000 square kilometers. It is native to North and Central America and many surrounding island territories, though it has been spotted in Greenland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. This bird prefers forest or wetland ecosystems. The global population of the bird has not been quantified, but the bird is described as common in many of its native regions. Because there seem to be no population declines approaching the threshold for inclusion on the IUCN Red List, the current evaluation status of the Green Heron is Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Green Heron is one of the few tool-using birds. It commonly drops bait onto the surface of the water and grabs the small fish that are attracted. The Green Heron is part of a complex of small herons that sometimes are considered one species. When lumped, they are called Green-backed Heron. When split, they are the Green Heron, the Striated Heron, and the Galapagos Heron. They tend to wander after the breeding season is over. Most probably seek more favorable foraging areas and do not travel far. Occasionally some turn up in England and France. A group of herons has many collective nouns, including a "battery", "hedge", "pose", "rookery", and "scattering" of herons."