Green Heron

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Green Heron in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green Heron sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 5,694 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Green Heron in Saguaro National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Green Heron in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

Butorides virescens

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies)
FamilyArdeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
GenusButorides (Green-backed Herons)
SpeciesButorides virescens (Green Heron)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Saguaro National Park

5,694 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026

37,561 Verified sightings across all 83 parks From 2019 to 2026

September Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Green Heron

The green heron (Butorides virescens) is a small heron of North and Central America. Butorides is from Middle English butor "bittern" and Ancient Greek -oides, "resembling", and virescens is Latin for "greenish". It was long considered conspecific with its sister species the striated heron (Butorides striata); when treated together, they were called "green-backed heron".

The green heron is a relatively small heron; 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, an iridescent greenish back and wings that are gray-black grading into green or blue, a chestnut neck with a pair or more of white lines down the front, gray 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 gray above, and white on the belly.

The green heron's call is a loud... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

LC Endemic

Ardea alba

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

LC Endemic

Ardea herodias

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Nycticorax nycticorax

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Egretta thula

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Egretta tricolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Bubulcus ibis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Botaurus lentiginosus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Platalea ajaja

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Eudocimus albus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Plegadis chihi

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Plegadis falcinellus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~70%
2	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
3	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
4	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
5	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
6	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~40%
7	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~40%
8	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~40%
9	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
10	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
11	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~30%
12	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
13	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
14	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
15	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
16	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
17	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
18	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
19	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
20	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
21	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
22	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
23	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
24	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
25	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
26	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
27	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
28	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
29	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
30	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
31	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
32	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
33	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
34	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
35	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
36	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
37	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
38	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
39	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~10%
40	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
41	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
42	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
43	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
44	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	~10%
45	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
46	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
47	Joshua Tree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
48	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
50	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
51	Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park	🇯🇲 Jamaica	<5%
52	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
53	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
54	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
55	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
56	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
57	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
58	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
59	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
60	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
61	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
62	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
63	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
64	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
65	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
66	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
67	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
68	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
69	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
70	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
71	Guadalupe Mountains National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
72	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
73	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
74	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
75	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
76	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	Insufficient data
77	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
78	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
79	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	Insufficient data
80	Yosemite National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
81	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
82	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
83	Zion National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Green Heron in Saguaro National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green Heron sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 5,694 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Green Heron in Saguaro National Park?

September has the highest sighting rate for Green Heron in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Saguaro National Park

Green Heron

About the Green Heron

Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

Snowy Egret

Tricolored Heron

Cattle Egret

American Bittern

Roseate Spoonbill

White Ibis

White-faced Ibis

American White Pelican

Glossy Ibis

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers