Where does the green-backed heron nest and breed?
Green-backed herons are considered semi-colonial because they create nests both solitarily and with other herons and egrets. They nest in shrubs and small trees, as well as on duck blinds throughout the Chesapeake Bay area. • Green-backed herons usually begin arriving at their breeding areas in early April. • During courtship, the male heron extends his neck feathers and swells his throat in a sharp call, then hops from one foot to the other in front of a female. • The female heron lays clutches of three to six eggs twice per year. • Both parents incubate the eggs for about 23 days. Newly hatched green-backed heron young are covered in yellow down and stay in the nest until they are able to fly. • Fledging occurs at about 30 days, and most birds depart the breeding colonies from mid-July through mid-October. Immature green-backed herons are brown above with brown and white streaks below. Other facts about the green-backed heron: • When alarmed, a green-backed heron may stretch its neck
