Green-Backed Heron

Green-backed Heron, Striated Heron, Little Green Heron (Eng.), Martinete (Sp.), Butorides striatus (Sci.), common permanent resident avian species of the Puerto Rico archipelago, with winter migrants increasing the population.

Photo from: The Internet Bird Collection. Information compiled by Alan Mowbray, Interpretive Media Writer, EYNF/LEF

General Information

Taxonomy: Class – Aves; Order – Ciconiiformes; Family – Ardeidae; Genus – Bufonides; Species – B. striatus. Often mistaken for cranes. Herons have an S-shaped curve in their long necks. Unlike cranes, herons hold their heads near their bodies while flying, extending their necks on take-off and landing. Green-backed Herons are adapted for wading in shallow water.

Description

Adult Green- backed Herons are small, gray-green colored birds, with rufous (reddish-orange-yellow) necks. Young are duller colored and more streaked in appearance. They are 16 to 18 inches (41 to 46 centimeters) long and weigh approximately 8.5 ounces (241 grams).

Habits

The Green-backed Heron usually forages alone, crouching along stream or river banks or low-lying branches and waiting for prey. Puerto Rico’s sole “tool-using” bird, it will occasionally use bait such as twigs, leaves, worms or flies to attract small fishes to within its reach. It will sometimes plunge into shallow water after prey, and will eat crabs, crayfish, insects and other invertebrates, as well as fish, frogs and lizards. It emits a loud “skeeow” call when disturbed. The Green-backed Heron typically nests alone, but will occasionally roost in treetop colonies along with other heron species. The male breaks-off twigs and passes them to the female for nest building. The female lays 3 to 5 blue-green eggs and both sexes share incubation duties for 19 to 21 days and subsequently brood and feed the chicks for the first three weels after hatching. Chicks can fly approximately 21 to 22 days after they hatch.

Habitat

B. striatus occurs in fresh and saltwater marshes, India Padauk (Pterocarpus indicus) forest, ponds, canals, mangroves, stream borders, calm ocean shores and wet fields.

Conservation

The Green-backed Heron is classified as a Species of Least Concern by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Where to look for this animal in the EYNF

Although mostly hidden in streamside vegetation, B. striatus can occasionally be viewed while perched on branches along stream banks or flying at tree-top level between roosts and feeding areas in the Forest’s Tabonuco and Palo Colorado vegetation types.