Green Heron

Description:

Green Heron (Butorides virescens) - an adult eyeing colorful Mayan cichlids (Cichlasoma urophthalma) and wondering how to catch the invasive fish - at Anhinga Trail, Everglades National Park, Florida. << The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a small heron of North and Central America. The Green Heron is relatively small; adult body length is about 44 cm (17 in). The neck is often pulled in tight against the body. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey underparts and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point. Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season. >>

Habitat:

The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a small heron of North and Central America. The Green Heron is relatively small; adult body length is about 44 cm (17 in). The neck is often pulled in tight against the body. Adults have a glossy, greenish-black cap, a greenish back and wings that are grey-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a white line down the front, grey underparts and short yellow legs. The bill is dark with a long, sharp point. Female adults tend to be smaller than males, and have duller and lighter plumage, particularly in the breeding season. Juveniles are duller, with the head sides, neck and underparts streaked brown and white, tan-splotched back and wing coverts, and greenish-yellow legs and bill. Hatchlings are covered in down feathers, light grey above, and white on the belly. Green Herons are seasonally monogamous. The pairs form in the breeding range, after an intense courtship display by the males, who select the nesting sites and fly in front of the female noisily and with puffed-up head and neck plumage. They nest in forest and swamp patches, over water or in plants near water. Nests are a platform of sticks, often in shrubs or trees, sometimes on the ground. Locations in trees are preferred, with some nests built 20 meters off the ground; heights of several meters above ground are more common though. Rarely, large numbers of these birds congregate in heronries for nesting. The clutch is usually 2-6 pale green eggs, which are laid in 2-day intervals (though the second egg may be laid up to 6 days later than the first). After the last egg has been laid, both parents incubate for about 19–21 days until hatching, and feed the young birds. The frequency of feedings decreases as the offspring near fledging. The young sometimes start to leave the nest at 16 days of age, but are not fully fledged and able to fend for themselves until 30–35 days old. Sometimes - particularly in the tropical parts of its range - the Green Heron breeds twice a year. (credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Heron.........)

Notes:

Many species of fish originating from tropical and subtropical regions have been introduced into the freshwaters of the Everglades. ... First collected from waters of the Everglades in 1983, the Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus) thrives in freshwater as well as brackish and saltwater environments. It can also survive harsh environmental conditions including cold temperatures, drought, and floods. It feeds on small fish, snails, mosquito larvae, and macroalgae. < http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/southflori...>