Things You'll Need:
- Bird field guide
- Binoculars
- Wetland area
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Step 1
Buy a good bird field guide, such as "Peterson Field Guide," with color photographs. Look for information about the Green Heron in the wetland or shoreline bird section.
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Step 2
Visit wetlands in eastern North America. Green Herons eat frogs and small fish, so their preferred habitat is around ponds and small lakes that have an abundance of these food sources. Wetland areas also provide shelter for this shoreline bird and give protection from predators such as hawks and coyotes.
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Step 3
Observe the size of the Green Heron. It's smaller than the more common Great Blue Heron. Green Herons are about 16 to 18 inches long with a wingspan of 25 to 27 inches. The average weight is less than 9 oz.
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Step 4
Search the shoreline to spot a Green Heron patiently waiting along the water's edge for an unsuspecting fish or frog to swim by. They stand very still while they are hunting, and are sometimes hard to see.
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Step 5
Look for a strip of green feathers on the top of its head that runs down the back of the head. The rest of the Green Heron's head is a reddish-brown color. The bird's wings also have a green hue.
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Step 6
Notice a bird that struts and thrusts its head back and forth while it walks the shoreline. The Green Heron hunts its prey this way, and uses bait such as earthworms or pieces of bread to lure its prey closer.
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Step 7
Listen for the loud squawking at the water's edge. It's likely a Green Heron. Green Herons also make a "kuk kuk kuk" sound.
