About the Cover…
Green Heron at Spring Lake
San Marcos, Texas
Betsy Cross
Poised for the STRIKE! Photos: courtesy Betsy Cross
From All About Birds:
“From a distance, the Green Heron is a dark, stocky bird hunched on slender yellow legs at the water’s edge…Seen up close, it is a striking bird with a velvet-green back, rich chestnut body, and a dark cap often raised into a short crest. These small herons crouch patiently to surprise fish with a snatch of their daggerlike bill.”
And so it was. After this hunter stalked her prey—ever focused, no flinching, no false moves—she finally found the perfect opportunity to strike! Then in an almost imperceptible moment, with a flick of her head, she dislodged the fatal stab and swallowed her fish. “Whew—glad I caught that,” we both said (haha)!
And did you know that Green Herons are one of the “…world’s few tool-using bird species. [They] often create fishing lures with bread crusts, insects, and feathers, dropping them on the surface of the water to entice small fish.” It’s astounding, isn’t it.
Also at Spring Lake, if you look closely at this individual, you can see two leg bands. Zooming in just a little closer, in the photo below, you can read some of the letters and numbers on the leg band. Photos: courtesy Betsy Cross
Additional facts from All About Birds:
“The oldest Green Heron on record was at least 8 years, 11 months old when it was found in Texas in 2021. It was banded there in 2013.”
The population of Green Herons declined by 51% between 1966 and 2019. As a result, the “Green Heron is included on the list of Common Birds in Steep Decline, for species that are still too numerous or widely distributed to warrant Watch-List status but have been experiencing troubling long-term declines.”
To wrap up, here's another shot of the hunter after her meal. This Green Heron is a beautiful specimen of her kind. Photo: courtesy Betsy Cross