Moraine State Park - Prospect, PA

A solitary and secretive bird, the Green Heron is stocky, dark colored, and small for a heron.

Green Herons inhabit small, freshwater wetlands, ponds, and stream-sides with thick vegetation at their margins. In winter, they frequent coastal areas and mangrove swamps.

The solitary Green Heron usually forages from a perch, where it stands with its body lowered and stretched out horizontally, ready to thrust its bill at unsuspecting prey. Fish are the primary food of this opportunistic feeder. Crayfish and other crustaceans are also a source of food, as are aquatic insects, frogs, grasshoppers, snakes, and rodents.

Green Herons typically nest in trees near the water. Males stake out territories and call to attract females. Sometimes pairs form in migration, and the pair will select the site together. Unlike most herons, the Green Heron does not typically nest in large colonies. The parents continue to feed the young for a few more weeks until they fledge after about 30 to 35 days.