Minnesota Seasons - Green Heron

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy


Conservation Status
IUCN Red List	LC - Least Concern
NatureServe	N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding SNRB - Unranked Breeding
Minnesota	not listed

Photo by John F

Description

Size

15″ to 22″ in length

26″ wingspan

Voice

Similar Species

Habitat

Marshes, lakes, and streams with dense shoreline vegetation

Ecology

Migration

April to September

Nesting

Food

Distribution

Occurrence

Common migrant and breeder

Maps

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map


Taxonomy
Class	Aves (birds)
Order	Pelecaniformes (pelicans, herons, ibises, and allies)
Family	Ardeidae (herons, egrets and bitterns)
Subfamily	Ardeinae (typical herons and egrets)
Genus	Butorides (green-backed herons)

Family The family Ardeidae was formerly included in the order Ciconiiformes. Based on a phylogenomic study published in 2008, the family was transferred to the order Pelecaniformes. Species This species was formerly classified as Butorides striata virescens, a subspecies of the Green-backed Heron.

Subordinate Taxa
Bahama Green Heron (Butorides virescens bahamensis) Frazar’s Green Heron (Butorides virescens frazari) Green Heron (Butorides virescens maculata) Eastern Green Heron (Butorides virescens virescens) Western Green Heron (Butorides virescens anthonyi)

Synonyms
Butorides striata virescens


Visitor Photos

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Kirk Nelson

Near Sucker Lake, Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park		Near Sucker Lake, Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park


		Juvenile green heron
Lebanon Hills Regional Park		Juvenile green heron

Mike Boyko

It was sitting at the pond in Crosstown West Park.

John F

Sitting on a log in the Muskrat Pond


Margot Avey

Megan


Nancy Berg

Bird lover

We have a small pond/lake behind our house. We saw it in the shallow part of the water pulling out minnows.

Gerry Garcia

When I tried to get just a step closer, it flew away.

Norm & Peg Dibble

Green Heron, just a funny photo sitting next to our metal art crazy bird. Just noticed—he appears to be banded on right leg.


Lynn Rubey

An Adult Green Heron perched on a long in a pond in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. Here you can see the white markings on the chest and throat.


An Adult Green Heron with a tadpole in its mouth perched on a log in a pond in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.		A green Heron walking along a branch along the Minnesota River in Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

CJ


Wayne Rasmussen





White Egrets are occasional visitors to Maplewood Hts Park even though the Blue Heron tries to protect his territory with ferocity.

From a distance, the Green Heron is a dark, stocky bird hunched on slender yellow legs at the water’s edge, often hidden behind a tangle of leaves. Seen up close, it is a striking bird with a velvet-green back, rich chestnut body, and a dark cap often raised into a short crest. These small herons crouch patiently to surprise fish with a snatch of their daggerlike bill. They sometimes lure in fish using small items such as twigs or insects as bait. — From Cornell Lab - All About Birds

Christa Rittberg

Observed in White Bear Lake.


Elizabeth Daughton

		A green heron sits quietly.

An immature great blue heron searches for food.


A green heron searches for fish and other food sources.

Shelley Taylor


MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Camera

Slideshows

Green Heron
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Green Heron
Ed McVicker

Green Heron
JMC Nature Photos

slideshow


Visitor Videos

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Holly Potter

Green Heron 01
Published on Jun 24, 2018

About

I believe it has a nest in the Rees nearby. I see it a couple of times daily sneaking into what looks like a nest made of dried reeds. Saw him or her catching fish a few times.

Green Heron 02
Published on Jun 24, 2018

About

I believe it has a nest in the Rees nearby. I see it a couple of times daily sneaking into what looks like a nest made of dried reeds. Saw him or her catching fish a few times.

Green Heron 03
Published on Jun 24, 2018

About

I believe it has a nest in the Rees nearby. I see it a couple of times daily sneaking into what looks like a nest made of dried reeds. Saw him or her catching fish a few times.


Other Videos

Green Heron - stealthy hunter - California
Clive Bramham

About

Uploaded on Apr 3, 2011

Green Heron (Butorides virescens; Grønnrygghegre) adult foraging at Upper Newport Bay (Back Bay), Orange County, California. Bird hops from rock to muddy rock, crouching and flaring its crest. A model of patience and focus, the bird steps through shallow water without disturbing the sediment. Birds of California playlist. Birds of North America. Butorides viriscencs. MP4

GREEN HERON CATCHING FISH_0001.wmv
TINKERPOPPYIMBA

About

Published on Apr 5, 2012

Intelligent Heron catching fish using bread as bait

Green Heron Calling
orangescope

About

Published on Jun 19, 2013

An adult Green Heron gives its signature call at the Venice Rookery.

Green Heron at the Raritan River - Best Ever in HD
my35Xvision

About

Published on Sep 13, 2012

Green Heron at the Raritan River - Best Ever http://www.youtube.com/user/my35Xvision -- back to my channel

Filmed by my35Xvision in Duke Island Park at the Raritan River on September 13, 2012

This was short and beautiful moment in nature...

Make sure you subscribe/like/comment/share!

Please visit my channel to view more exciting videos:
http://www.youtube.com/user/my35Xvision

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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Kirk Nelson 7/12/2025	Location: Lebanon Hills Regional Park


Kirk Nelson 9/1/2024	Location: Near Sucker Lake, Vadnais-Snail Lakes Regional Park

Mike Boyko
9/8/2023

Location: Burnsville, MN

It was sitting at the pond in Crosstown West Park.

John F
7/5/2023

Location: Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington

Sitting on a log in the Muskrat Pond

Gia DesLauriers
5/17/2023

Location: Chaska, MN

I believe I have two green herons who are building a nest in a tree in our yard.


Margot Avey 7/18/2022	Location: Westwood Nature Center, St Louis Park MN


Megan 7/16/2022	Location: Chaska, Minnesota


Nancy Berg 7/10/2021	Location: Woodbury, MN


Bird lover 5/3/2021	Location: Woodbury, MN


Margot Avey 9/18/2020	Location: Westwood Nature Center


Zac Davenport 6/4/2020	Location: Savage, MN

Gerry Garcia
8/27/2019

Location: Hyland Lake Park Reserve

When I tried to get just a step closer, it flew away.

Norm & Peg Dibble
7/5/2019

Location: Maple Grove, MN

Green Heron, just a funny photo sitting next to our metal art crazy bird. Just noticed—he appears to be banded on right leg.

Lynn Rubey
6/19/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

An Adult Green Heron with a tadpole in its mouth perched on a log in a pond in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge.

Lynn Rubey
9/8/2018

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

A green Heron walking along a branch along the Minnesota River


Kirk Nelson 8/11/2018	Location: Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary

Holly Potter
6/21/2018

Location: Pine Mountain Lake, Backus, Minnesota

I believe it has a nest in the Rees nearby. I see it a couple of times daily sneaking into what looks like a nest made of dried reeds. Saw him or her catching fish a few times.