96 WATER BIRDS 



201b. ANTHONY GREEN HERON. —Butorides virescens 



anthcmyi. 



Family : The Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns. 



Length : 15.00-22.00. 



Adults: Crown, crest; tail, and wings green ; sides of neck yellow- 

 brown ; bell)' light grayish brown. 



Geographical Distribution : Southwestern United States ; south in 

 winter. 



Breeding Range: Breeds locally wherever found, along the rivers of the 

 interior. 



Breeding Season : April. 



Nest : On branches of trees and bushes ; a loose platform of sticks ; lined 

 with leaves. 

 i : 3 to 5 ; light greenish buff or olive. 



This is a subspecies of the Green Heron, and is found 

 resident only in the southern part of California. Mr. 

 Grinnell lists it as a common migrant, and says it breeds 

 along the larger streams of the interior valleys. It is 

 largely nocturnal in habit, and not unlike the American 

 bittern in its guttural alarm note. 



This species is found less often in the marshes, and 

 more often along the banks of shallow streams and small 

 lakes, where it sits for hours motionless in a dead tree 

 or concealed stump, seeming to doze through the day- 

 light hours. Early in the morning or late in the evening, 

 however, the heronry awakes to great activity; for the 

 hungry young clamor harshly for food, and the adults 

 hurry to and fro in pursuit of it. This noise continues 

 far into the night and begins anew with daylight. Frogs, 

 small snakes, fish, and lizards are the prey this Heron 

 seeks, but it occasionally contents itself with insects and 

 field mice. 



