Green heron shows up at several sites in the Triad

Herons are among the more exotic-looking birds found in our area. With their long legs and necks, and saberlike beaks, they look quite tropical. They can often be seen along the borders of lakes, ponds and marshes, especially in summer. Eleven species are found in North Carolina and Virginia, and they are among the most commonly seen birds in coastal marshes. They include the three white egrets: great egret, snowy egret and cattle egret; the tricolored heron; the little blue heron; the yellow-crowned night heron; the black-crowned night heron; the American bittern; and the least bittern.

But the herons most familiar to area birders are the green heron and the great blue heron. These two represent the extremes of size among these birds. Great blue herons, standing 4 feet tall, are the largest and often mistaken for cranes, which are rarely seen in mid-Atlantic states. The green heron is, next to the tiny least bittern, the smallest of the group.

These two herons can be expected to occupy nearly every pond or lake of any size throughout North Carolina. The green heron breeds throughout the eastern United States in summer but winters along the Gulf Coast southward to northern South America. The great blue heron is found across the United States year round. It is a colonial nester while the green heron is more solitary. Colonies of the great blue tend to be in swampy lakes and their nests are often high in live or dead trees. The nests of green herons are usually 10 to 15 feet high, but can be found much lower. One that I found in late May was only about 2 feet above the water.

Both species hunt in shallow water, and they hunt by stealth. They eat fish and other aquatic prey such as frogs, snakes, leeches, crayfish and insects. The great blue can often be seen standing motionless in water for several minutes, then stab its beak into the water.

Skillful as they are, they often come up empty. But they are patient and are rewarded after a few tries. I once watched a great blue catch a large sunfish. This 5-pound bird swallowed the fish, as big as my hand, in a single gulp. Unlike kingfishers, which will hammer their prey on a perch until it is dead and somewhat pulverized, herons swallow their prey without any sort of tenderizing and usually still alive. They swallow with neck extended and the bulge of the prey is visible as it slides slowly down the bird's gullet.

The green heron is relatively colorful when seen in direct sunlight. Its blackish-green cap, dusky green wings and dark grayish-green back contrast with its reddish-chestnut neck and yellow legs. But these same colors render the bird a mere silhouette when it is in shade as it often is. Its neck is long, but when the bird is resting, crouching in search of prey and even in flight, its head is usually drawn back to its shoulders and the neck appears short and squat.

Look for the green heron along the borders of Lake Katherine in Reynolda Gardens, Mallard Lake in Tanglewood Park, Salem Lake and the wetland at Historic Bethabara Park. It can be found there, with a little effort and patience, all summer and into early fall. The great blue heron can be found at these same places year round, but is actually a little more common in winter.

Far less common is the small colony of yellow-crowned night-herons in Miller Park in the heart of Winston-Salem. This species usually nests in coastal areas and, to a lesser extent, in the coastal plain. Crabs make up the vast majority of its diet. Inland colonies, which don't have access to crabs, eat crayfish instead. The Miller Park colony has just three to six breeding pairs. This year's young are beginning to venture away from their nests, high in the trees, and will be flying to feeding grounds with the adults soon.

Directions to these parks and more information about birding in our area can be found at the Web site of Audubon Society of Forsyth County, www.forsythaudubon.org.

■ Bird's-Eye View is joint column by Ron Morris and Phil Dickinson. Today's column was written by Morris. Morris retired after 24 years as curator at the N.C. Zoo. He has studied birds on four continents, 22 countries and many islands. Dickinson is a legal writer. He has been an active birder for 15 years, and is currently the president of the Audubon Society of Forsyth County. If you have a birding question or story idea, write to Bird's-Eye View in care of Features, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101-3159, or send an e-mail to birding@wsjournal.com. Please type "birds" in the subject line.