Green Heron

About the Green Heron

The Green Heron is a small, dark, compact heron that looks almost neckless until it strikes - deep glossy green-black above with a rich chestnut neck, dark cap it raises into a shaggy crest, and bright orange-yellow legs. Seen well in good light, it is one of the most handsome herons in Texas.

Green Herons are ambush hunters, crouching motionless on a snag or bank at the water's edge before spearing small fish and frogs with a lightning strike. They are also among the few tool-using birds in the world: individuals have been documented dropping twigs, feathers, and bread onto the water as bait to lure fish within range.

In Texas the Green Heron is a summer breeder on wooded ponds and creeks statewide and a year-round resident along the coast, usually seen singly, announcing itself with a loud, startled "skeow!" as it flushes.