Green Heron
(Butorides virescens)

Overview

Summary

© John Reaume
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The majority of Canada's Green Heron population breeds on inland marshes in Ontario, where results from the Breeding Bird Survey suggest little overall change in abundance since 1970. Although relatively adaptable in its diet and habitat needs, alteration of wetlands likely represent an important threat to this species (Davis and Kushlan 1994, Sandilands 2007a). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.

Designations

Population status

Population estimate

Distribution maps

• BirdLife International / NatureServe
• Breeding Bird Survey (BBS): Relative Abundance and Breeding Distribution (1993-2012)

Migration strategy, occurrence

Responsibility for conservation of world population

Conservation and management

Causes of population declines are relatively poorly known, but loss and damage to wetland habitats are likely implicated (Davis and Kushlan 1994). Nesting birds may be affected by drainage and disturbance of marshes, particularly in the small wetlands they prefer, but population-level impacts have not been measured, and little management effort has been focused on this species (Davis and Kushlan 1994).

Bird conservation region strategies

Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:

• conservation concerns (i.e., species vulnerable due to population size, distribution, population trend, abundance, or threats)
• stewardship responsibilities (i.e., species that typify the regional avifauna or have a large proportion of their range or population in the sub-region)
• management concerns (i.e., species that require ongoing management because of their socio-economic importance as game species, or because of their impacts on other species or habitats)
• other concerns (i.e., species deemed a priority by regional experts for other reasons than those listed above or because they are listed as species at risk or concern at the provincial level)

Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.

References

• Davis, Jr., W.E. and J.A. Kushlan. 1994. Green Heron (Butorides virescens), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Davis, Jr., W.E. and J.A. Kushlan. 1994. Green Heron (Butorides virescens), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. (Link)
• Sandilands, A. 2007a. Green Heron. pp. 162-163 in: Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005. Cadman, M.D., D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. Lepage and A.R. Couturier, Eds. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto, Ontario.