Green Heron
Green HeronGreen HeronGreen HeronGreen Heron

Green Heron

Butorides virescens

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Shenandoah National Park
1,229 Verified sightings at Shenandoah National Park From 2019 to 2026
35,964 Verified sightings across all 71 parks From 2019 to 2026
August 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 Shenandoah National Park

Great Blue Heron
LC

Great Blue Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea herodias

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Tricolored Heron
LC

Tricolored Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta tricolor

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Snowy Egret
LC

Snowy Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta thula

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Great Egret
LC

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black-crowned Night Heron
LC

Black-crowned Night Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax nycticorax

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Little Blue Heron
LC

Little Blue Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta caerulea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
LC

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nyctanassa violacea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Bittern
LC

American Bittern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Botaurus lentiginosus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Cattle Egret
LC

Cattle Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bubulcus ibis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
White Ibis
LC

White Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eudocimus albus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Roseate Spoonbill
LC

Roseate Spoonbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Platalea ajaja

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American White Pelican
LC

American White Pelican

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

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 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
29 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
30 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
31 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
32 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
33 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
34 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
35 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
36 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
37 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
38 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
39 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
40 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
41 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
42 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
43 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~10%
44 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
45 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
46 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
47 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
48 Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park 🇯🇲 Jamaica
<5%
49 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
50 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
51 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
52 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
53 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
54 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
55 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
56 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
57 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
58 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
59 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
60 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
61 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
Insufficient data
62 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
63 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
64 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
65 Cabo Pulmo National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
66 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
67 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
68 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
69 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
70 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
71 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

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

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green Heron sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 1,229 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

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

August has the highest sighting rate for Green Heron in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.

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