Bird: Green Heron (Butorides virescens) 美洲綠鷺

The Green Heron is part of a complex of small herons. They are nocturnal and they are most conspicuous during dusk and dawn. Green Herons are territorial and do not tolerate intrusions. The Green Heron is one of the world’s few tool-using bird species. It often creates fishing lures with bread crusts, insects, and feathers, dropping them on the surface of the water to entice small fish.
美洲綠鷺是小鷺群的一部分。它們是夜行性動物,在黃昏和黎明時最容易看到它們。美洲綠鷺是有領地意識的,不能容忍入侵。美洲綠鷺是世界上少數會使用工具的鳥類之一。 它們通常會用麵包皮,昆蟲和羽毛作成魚餌,將餌掉到水面上以吸引小魚。

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Photo Date: 2022.02.15 Location: LA Arboretum
Photo Date: 2020.07.17 Location: The Peck Road Park

Notes 筆記

  • The Green Heron is part of a complex of small herons. When lumped, they are called Green-backed Heron. When split, they are the Green Heron, the widespread Striated Heron, and the Galapagos Heron.
  • The habitat of the green heron is small wetlands in low-lying areas. The species is most conspicuous during dusk and dawn, and if anything these birds are nocturnal rather than diurnal, preferring to retreat to sheltered areas in daytime.
  • Green Herons usually hunt by wading in shallow water, but occasionally they dive for deep-water prey and need to swim back to shore. They mainly eat small fish, frogs and aquatic arthropods, but may take any invertebrate or vertebrate prey they can catch, including such animals like leeches and mice.
  • The Green Heron is one of the world’s few tool-using bird species. It often creates fishing lures with bread crusts, insects, and feathers, dropping them on the surface of the water to entice small fish.
  • There are both migratory and non-migratory populations. Migratory populations typically travel back to their breeding territories in March and April and nesting is typically underway by the end of May. Some of the western and southern populations in the United States, and further south are permanent residents (remaining in their territories year-round).
  • Green Herons are territorial and do not tolerate intrusions. When threatened, alarmed or aggressive, they raise their crest, hold their neck still and flutter their tail. They attack intruders on sight, flying towards them, making a loud and guttural repetitive “annnck-annnnck”.
  • Green herons are serially monogamous, which means they mate with only one partner in a breeding season. The courtship display by the male is a circular flight similar to natural flight, but is directed towards the bird’s breeding area and accompanied by calls.
  • Green herons nest either alone or in a loose groups. The male will protect the nest site during the construction of the nest. A pair builds a platform of sticks and stems, in trees or bushes, above or near water.
  • 2 to 4 eggs are laid and incubation is by both parents, for about 21 to 25 days. The parents feed regurgitated food to the chicks, which begin hopping around their nest, snapping at insects after about 16 to 17 days when they are fledged. They gain independence at around 30 to 35 days.
  • 美洲綠鷺是小鷺群的一部分。總稱為綠背綠鷺,包括了美洲綠鷺,綠鷺(綠蓑鷺、鷺鷥、打魚郎)和加拉帕戈斯綠鷺。
  • 美洲綠鷺的棲息地是在低窪地區的小型濕地。在黃昏和黎明時最容易看到它們,它們常在夜間活動,而不是在白天岀來活動,它們在白天會躲起來。
  • 美洲綠鷺通常在淺水中涉水狩獵,但偶爾他們會潛入深水中獵物而需要遊回岸上。它們主要吃小魚,青蛙和水生節肢動物,但也可能會捕撈任何它們能捕到的無脊椎動物或脊椎動物,像是水蛭和老鼠等動物。
  • 美洲綠鷺是世界上少數會使用工具的鳥類之一。它們通常會用麵包皮,昆蟲和羽毛作成魚餌,將餌掉到水面上以吸引小魚。
  • 它們有的是候鳥羣也有非候鳥羣。候鳥羣通常在3月和4月返回其繁殖地區,在5月底進行築巢。美國西部和南部或再往南的一些綠鷺,則是留鳥(全年都留在同一個地區)。
  • 美洲綠鷺是有領地意識的,不能容忍入侵。 當受到威脅,驚慌或攻擊時,它們會抬高冠毛,保持脖子靜止並拍打尾巴。它們會攻擊並飛向入侵者,發出響亮而重複的“ annnck-annnnck”聲。
  • 美洲綠鷺是一夫一妻制,這意味著它們在繁殖季節只與一個伴侶交配。雄性的求愛是轉圈飛,但飛向它們的繁殖區域並伴有鳴叫聲。
  • 美洲綠鷺可獨居或成群散居。雄鳥在築巢期間會保護築巢地點。䧳雄一對一起在水或水上方或附近的樹木或灌木叢中建立了一個由樹枝和莖桿組成的平台。
  • 母鳥產2至4個卵,由雌雄親鳥共同孵化約21至25天。 親鳥反芻餵食給雛鳥,雛鳥先是在巢穴中跳來跳去,當雛鳥羽翼未豐時大約在16到17天后就可搶奪小蟲。它們大約30至35天可獨立生活。

References 參考資料

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