HERONS, BITTERNS, ETC.: NIGHT HERON 
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greenish yellow. Young in juveyial 'plumage: Head less crested, back without 
plumes; underparts streaked with brown. 
Range. —Breeds from South Dakota and southeastern Canada south to Mexico, 
Central America, and extreme northern South America; winters principally in Mex¬ 
ico and Central America but also in southeastern States—South Carolina, Florida, 
Texas; accidental in Colorado(?), New Mexico, Texas, and Porto Rico. 
State Records. —The regular breeding range of the typical form of the Green 
Heron extends west to western Texas and Kansas and the bird is known in the 
Rocky Mountain region only as an accidental visitant. One was seen in the spring 
of 1904, at Rinconada (Surber). This was undoubtedly the eastern bird virescens , 
but there is no certainty that this is the form occurring at Mesilla for a western 
subspecies anlhonyi is a regular though not common breeder in eastern and south¬ 
eastern Arizona almost to the New Mexico line and undoubtedly sometimes enters 
the latter State. Some form of the Green Heron breeds not rarely at Mesilla and 
may possibly, though not probably, winter there since it has been seen as late as 
December and as early as February (Merrill). It was many years ago recorded 
as occurring at Fort Thorn (Henry).—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. —Singly, or in small colonies; when possible, on bushes or trees, usually 
near water, loosely made of sticks. Eggs: Ordinarily 4 or 5, pale greenish. 
Food. —Frogs, minnows, salamanders, lizards, crabs, crawfish, leeches, snails, 
snakes; also worms, spiders, dragon flies, insect enemies of fish, grasshoppers, 
locusts, and others. 
General Habits —This little Green Heron or “ Fly-up-the-Creek,” is 
found along small wooded streams and ponds, in swamps and beside 
woodland lakes, but as it rests quietly during the day, feeding mainly 
in the early morning or at nightfall it is usually seen only when flushed. 
Then, as Doctor Chapman says, it “ springs into the air with a fright¬ 
ened skeow or explosive whistle, and, alighting at a safe distance on a 
tree or some elevated perch, with upstretched neck watches the intruder, 
betraying its apprehension by nervous twitchings of the tail” (1912, 
p. 227). Meanwhile the pleased intruder in his turn gazes with keen 
satisfaction upon the green-crested head and handsome maroon neck 
of the woodland hermit. 
While the small green herons nest, near Mesilla, along the Rio 
Grande where the Great Blue Herons do, they nest preferably, as Pro¬ 
fessor Merrill found, in small cottonwoods in wet places where they 
get food. When nesting they are well hidden by the foliage of the 
trees, but when feeding in the tall rushes their presence is often be¬ 
trayed by a “throaty grunt of satisfaction” (MS). 
Additional Literature.—Bent, A. C., U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull. 135, 185-194, 
1926.— Pearson, T. G., Educational Leaflet 66, Nat. Assoc. Audubon Soc. 
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON: Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (Boddaert) 
Plate 6 
Description.— Length: About 23-26 inches, wing 11-12.8, bill 2.8-3.1, 
tarsus 3.1-3.4. Bill and legs comparatively short and stout. Back of crown in 
nuptial plumage with white cord-like plumes. Adults: Crown and back black with 
