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Green Heron

Butorides virescens

Bird · family Ardeidae · order Pelecaniformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G4: apparently secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G4 Apparently Secure[2]
Native in
46 states[3]
Oldest known wild bird
11 years[4]

The Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a bird in the heron family, Ardeidae[5]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act, and NatureServe ranks it G4, Apparently Secure, worldwide[1][2].

Conservation status

Green Heron is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe gives it a global rank of G4 (Apparently Secure)[2]. In the United States the national rank is N5B,N5N, which means Secure for breeding birds and Secure for nonbreeding birds[6]. The IUCN Red List category is Least concern[7]. It is on the federal list of birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8]. NatureServe estimates 100,000 to 1,000,000 adults worldwide[9].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G4 (Apparently Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5B,N5N (Secure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding))
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8] Protected
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[9] 100,000 to 1,000,000 individuals

Where Green Heron lives

NatureServe lists Green Heron as native in 46 US states and territories, including the District of Columbia[3]. These run from Maine, New York and Florida across to Texas, California, Oregon and Washington[3]. NatureServe ranks it as extirpated or possibly extirpated in Utah[10]. In GBIF, Florida, Texas, California, New York and Ohio have the most observation records, but those counts follow where people go birding, not how many herons live there[11].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: native, state rank S3BMEWisconsin: native, state rank S4BWIVermont: native, state rank S4BVTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5BNHWashington: native, state rank S3BWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: native, state rank S3NDMinnesota: native, state rank SNRBMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S4MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S4B,S5MMAOregon: native, state rank S4ORNevada: native, state rank S4BNVWyoming: native, state rank S3NWYSouth Dakota: native, state rank S2BSDIowa: native, state rank S3BIAIndiana: native, state rank S4BINOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S4BPANew Jersey: native, state rank S3B,S4NNJConnecticut: native, state rank S4BCTRhode Island: native, state rank S5B,S5NRICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SHBUTColorado: native, state rank S3BCONebraska: native, state rank S4NEMissouri: native, state rank SNRBMOKentucky: native, state rank S4BKYWest Virginia: native, state rank S3BWVVirginia: native, state rank S5VAMaryland: native, state rank S4BMDDelaware: native, state rank S4BDEArizona: native, state rank S4AZNew Mexico: native, state rank S4NMKansas: native, state rank S4BKSArkansas: native, state rank S3BARTennessee: native, state rank S4TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S5BNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S4SCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S3B,S3NDCOklahoma: native, state rank S2BOKLouisiana: native, state rank S3N,S5BLAMississippi: native, state rank S5BMSAlabama: native, state rank S5BALGeorgia: native, state rank S5GAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S5BTXFlorida: native, state rank S4FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[12].
Show state ranks (47 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5BSecure (breeding)
ArizonaS4Apparently Secure
ArkansasS3BVulnerable (breeding)
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
ColoradoS3BVulnerable (breeding)
ConnecticutS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
DelawareS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
District of ColumbiaS3B,S3NVulnerable (breeding), Vulnerable (nonbreeding)
FloridaS4Apparently Secure
GeorgiaS5Secure
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
IowaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
KansasS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
KentuckyS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
LouisianaS3N,S5BVulnerable (nonbreeding), Secure (breeding)
MaineS3BVulnerable (breeding)
MarylandS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
MassachusettsS4B,S5MApparently Secure (breeding), Secure (migrant)
MichiganS4Apparently Secure
MinnesotaSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
MississippiS5BSecure (breeding)
MissouriSNRBNot Ranked (breeding)
NebraskaS4Apparently Secure
NevadaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
New HampshireS5BSecure (breeding)
New JerseyS3B,S4NVulnerable (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
New MexicoS4Apparently Secure
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaS5BSecure (breeding)
North DakotaS3Vulnerable
OhioS5Secure
OklahomaS2BImperiled (breeding)
OregonS4Apparently Secure
PennsylvaniaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
Rhode IslandS5B,S5NSecure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)
South CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
South DakotaS2BImperiled (breeding)
TennesseeS4Apparently Secure
TexasS5BSecure (breeding)
UtahSHBPossibly Extirpated (breeding)
VermontS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
VirginiaS5Secure
WashingtonS3BVulnerable (breeding)
West VirginiaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
WisconsinS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
WyomingS3NVulnerable (nonbreeding)

Habitat

Green Herons use wet places. NatureServe records habitat types such as herbaceous wetland, scrub-shrub wetland, forested wetland, riparian areas, shallow water, lagoons and tidal flats[13]. They also use swamps, mangroves and marshes, and the edges of ponds, rivers and lakes[14]. Nests sit on a platform in a tree, thicket or bush, often over water but sometimes in drier woods or orchards, in both freshwater and brackish places[14].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[13]

Size, diet and lifespan

Green Heron eats animals. NatureServe lists it as a carnivore, a fish eater and an invertebrate eater[15]. It hunts mostly in shallow water and may wait still on a low perch for prey to come close[16]. One diet estimate puts it at 40% fish, 30% reptiles and amphibians, and 30% invertebrates[17]. An adult is about 46 cm (18 in)[18] long and weighs about 212 g[19]. The oldest known wild bird from banding records was at least 11 years 1 months old[4]. Incubation lasts about 20 days[20]. Clutches are usually 4 to 5 eggs in the north and 2 to 3 in the south[21].

Trait Value
Typical length[18] 46 cm (18 in)
Typical adult weight[19] 212 g (7.5 oz)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[22] 11.6 years (wild)
Oldest known wild bird (banding)[4] 11 years 1 months
Litter or clutch size[23] 4
Gestation or incubation[20] 20 days
Female maturity[24] 730 days (about 2.0 years)
Food habits[15] Carnivore, Piscivore, Invertivore
Migration[25] non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[17]

  • 40% fish
  • 30% reptiles and amphibians
  • 30% invertebrates

When to look for it

Green Heron is active by day and at dawn and dusk[26]. Crepuscular means active around dawn and dusk. Northern birds migrate, moving north mostly in April and May and south from August to November[27]. In the western US, not every bird migrates, and some birds in the southern US probably stay put[27]. GBIF records for the United States peak in May, July and August, which shows when people report the bird, not how many there are[28].

January: 74,826 recordsJanFebruary: 62,575 recordsFebMarch: 77,626 recordsMarApril: 277,153 recordsAprMay: 527,170 recordsMayJune: 315,234 recordsJunJuly: 350,634 recordsJulAugust: 402,844 recordsAugSeptember: 282,711 recordsSepOctober: 85,107 recordsOctNovember: 58,682 recordsNovDecember: 61,700 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[28].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January74,826
February62,575
March77,626
April277,153
May527,170
June315,234
July350,634
August402,844
September282,711
October85,107
November58,682
December61,700

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Green Heron as present in 133 park units[29]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

And 109 more park units.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, Texas, California, New York, Ohio[11]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Green Heron endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G4, Apparently Secure, worldwide[2].
Where does the Green Heron live?
NatureServe lists it as native in 46 US states and territories[3]. It lives in wet places such as marshes, swamps, mangroves and the edges of ponds, rivers and lakes[14].
What does the Green Heron eat?
It eats fish, crustaceans, insects and other small animals, usually hunting in shallow water[16]. One estimate is 40% fish, 30% reptiles and amphibians, and 30% invertebrates[17].
How big is a Green Heron?
NatureServe records a typical length of 46 cm (18 in)[18] and a typical adult weight of 212 g[19].
How long does a Green Heron live?
The oldest known wild bird from banding records was at least 11 years 1 months old[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Green Heron is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Green Heron: G4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Green Heron as native in 46 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Oldest known wild Green Heron from US and Canadian bird banding records: at least 11 years 1 months old (USGS Bird Banding Laboratory). USGS Bird Banding Lab
  5. Green Heron (Butorides virescens) is a bird in the family Ardeidae, order Pelecaniformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5B,N5N (Secure (breeding), Secure (nonbreeding)). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. Green Heron is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (50 CFR 10.13). eCFR, 50 CFR 10.13
  9. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 100,000 to 1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe ranks Green Heron as extirpated or possibly extirpated (SX or SH) in: Utah. NatureServe Explorer
  11. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Green Heron: Florida, Texas, California, New York, Ohio. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  12. NatureServe state ranks for Green Heron (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  13. Habitat types NatureServe records for Green Heron: Temporary pool, Herbaceous wetland, Scrub-shrub wetland, Forested wetland, Riparian, Low gradient, Shallow water, Lagoon, Tidal flat/shore. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on habitat for Green Heron. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Carnivore, Piscivore, Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  16. NatureServe notes on food for Green Heron. NatureServe Explorer
  17. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 40% fish, 30% reptiles and amphibians, 30% invertebrates. EltonTraits 1.0
  18. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 46 cm (18 in). NatureServe Explorer
  19. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 212 g (7.5 oz). NatureServe Explorer
  20. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 20 days. AnAge
  21. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Green Heron. NatureServe Explorer
  22. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 11.6 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  23. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 4. AnAge
  24. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 730 days (about 2.0 years). AnAge
  25. NatureServe migration category for Green Heron: non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  26. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Diurnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  27. NatureServe notes on migration for Green Heron. NatureServe Explorer
  28. GBIF observation records of Green Heron in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  29. NPSpecies park lists recording Green Heron as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.