There are four species of herons found in Arizona. They are Great Blue, Green, Little Blue and Tricolored. The last two are harder to find, but I saw the Little Blue Heron at Rio Salado one year. I’ve yet to see the Tricolored, but it has been seen down near the Mexican border. If you’ve seen them all in Arizona, you are doing well. This month I decided to focus on one of the more common – the Green Heron. 

Description: Compact and stout with an overall dark blue-green color on its back and reddish brown neck and chest. It looks short necked but it’s not because it holds its neck close to its body. Has yellowish to orange legs. Overall, it’s about 18-20” in length. 

Habitat: They like forested margins of lakes, ponds, rivers, lagoons, mangroves, rocky tidal basins – really, just about anyplace near water where they can catch fish. It’s a secretive bird and sometimes is hard to spot because it sits very still in the shadows if possible. 

Diet: Fish, insects, and aquatic invertebrates. The young are fed regurgitated food. 

Range: This bird can be found across most of the U.S.; spends winters in the southern U.S. south to Venezuela, Panama, and the West Indies. 

Breeding: They make a nest of interwoven twigs and sticks near or over water. They are monogamous and usually have anywhere from 2-7 eggs. They sometimes will have two broods. 

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. A group of herons has many collective nouns, including a "battery", "hedge", "pose", "rookery", and "scattering" of herons."