Juvenile Green Herons (Identification with Pictures)

green heron (Green Loach) is a small, cryptic water bird of the heron family. These stealthy hunters are most often seen and heard when they explode from cover after being disturbed.

They are the smallest herons in North America and inhabit quiet, heavily vegetated aquatic and marine habitats. So, what does a juvenile green heron look like?

Despite their common name, juvenile green herons are more brown than green. They are the same size as adults, but differ by having yellow mandibles, spots on their wings and striped underparts. Young birds also lack the sorrel sides and dark green caps of their parents.

Individual young green herons can be seen along coastlines in freshwater and saltwater environments throughout the eastern half of the United States. They are also found on the West Coast, as far north as British Columbia.

However, they are partial migrants and most will travel south to the southeast, southwestern coast for the winter, and across Mexico to Central America.

Closeup of a young juvenile green heron walking on a branch

You may spot young green herons outside the nest at a young age. They can swim well before they learn to fly — a handy adaptation that prevents chicks from falling into the water below.

When they’re old enough to fly, they follow their parents, and birders may spot juveniles by the water’s edge, eagerly awaiting a free meal provided by their parents.

There is still a lot to discover about juvenile green herons. Read on to learn more about these shy but common American shorebirds.

Closeup of a juvenile green heron hunting prey in the water

What does a juvenile green heron look like?

Juvenile green herons are small water birds with large, lance-shaped beaks. Their legs and neck appear to be much shorter than those of other birds in their family, such as the great blue heron, although they appear to be quite tall when fully extended.

Juvenile green herons are brown above, with small white spots on the wings. The neck and chest are brown with distinct light stripes, and the belly is white. Their legs are yellow, as is the lower part of their beaks.

The main difference between juveniles and adults is that the back feathers are brown instead of the dark green of adults. Adults also have a black beak and a reddish-brown neck and belly. Young birds that have recently started out with their parents may still have a fluffy coat of white down feathers.

Read on to learn about the sizes of juvenile green herons and how they compare to adults.

Juvenile green heron standing on a log

How big are juvenile green herons?

Young green herons weigh just half an ounce (16 grams) when they hatch and are less than 4 inches (10 centimeters) long.

They grow rapidly, reaching almost adult weight after only two weeks. After a few days, young herons leave the nest and begin flight when they are about three weeks old.

Juvenile green herons are about the size of crows when they leave the nest. Juveniles weigh 7 to 9 ounces (200 – 255 g), are about 14 to 18 inches (36 – 46 cm) long, and have a wingspan of 25 to 27 inches (63 – 69 cm) when they are free.

Recently fledgling green heron chicks are learning to fly

What do juvenile green herons eat?

A little green heron’s diet is cud-regurgitated food straight off the parent’s bill. Food is well digested and has a liquid consistency. As chicks get older, their parents provide more solid food.

After leaving the nest and learning to fly, young green herons will continue to eat regularly from their parents for the first few weeks.

They start hunting with their parents at three and a half weeks old, although inexperienced young birds have a lot to learn, initially catching insects while waiting for their parents to provide food.

Adult green herons are master fishers and one of the few bird species to use tools. These clever birds can lure fish into striking range by dropping small lures such as twigs or feathers on the water’s surface.

However, their diet is not limited to fish. They also feed on insects, frogs and crustaceans.

Young green heron fledgling learns to forage

Why do juvenile green herons call?

Little green herons can make soft sounds from a very young age. Closely related species have been known to sing before they even leave their eggs entirely!

As young green herons grow in the nest, they call to beg for food from their parents.hungry bird gave birth tick tock Call to encourage their parents to provide a meal.

Once out of the nest to start foraging, green herons emit their well-known screaming alarm when disturbed. These birds often fly away before being spotted, and the call will be well known to many birders and outdoor enthusiasts who hang around quiet coastal and freshwater bodies.

green heron hatching call

How long do baby green heron feathers last?

By the middle of the third week, young green herons have fully grown their juvenile plumage. In their fifth week of life, they will lose their remaining chick feathers. Juvenile green herons begin to molt a few weeks after leaving the nest and resemble adults during their first summer.

How long do juvenile green herons stay with their parents?

After about twenty days, the green heron eggs hatch. The helpless hatchlings spend the first two weeks in the nest before venturing out to the surrounding tree branches. The young birds will start their first short flight in the third week.

Juvenile green herons are not fully independent after leaving the nest. Young birds are fed by their parents for several weeks while they learn to take care of themselves. During this time, they will continue to get food directly from their parents’ bill.

Close up portrait of juvenile green heron

Other species that look similar to juvenile green herons

Juvenile green herons may be confused with some other North American waterbirds in the heron family. Read on to learn how to tell these shorebirds apart.

black-crowned night-heron

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (night coral) are easily confused with juvenile green herons from a distance. The two birds are similar in color and markings, though they are vastly different in size and shape.

The bill of the black-crowned night-heron is significantly thicker. They are also heavier – about four times the weight of juvenile green herons.

Yellow-crowned night-heron

Juvenile yellow-crowned night-heron (nightingale) juvenile plumage look similar to green herons and black-crowned night herons. Young yellow-crested night-herons have a black beak, a single red eye, and a noticeably taller, more upright stance.

minimal bitterness

Minimal brine (tassel willow) is the smallest American member of the heron family. They are similar in shape and appearance to juvenile green herons, but are much smaller at around three ounces (80 grams). Birdwatchers can identify both adults and juvenile Least Bitterns by their buff wings.

Juvenile Green Heron perched on a wooden post

What is an immature green heron called?

Depending on their age, different names may be used to describe immature green herons.

When they first hatch, they are called hatchlings. The rest of the time the young birds are in the nest they are called chicks. Chicks become fledglings once they leave the nest, and when they learn to fly and become independent from their parents.