Green-backed heron
# Green-backed heron

"Green-backed heron" is a collective term for certain herons. Small and compact among herons, these birds often feature green plumage – rare among the Ardeidae –, in particular on the back, wings and scapulars.

They were formerly believed to make up a single species Butorides striata, but are now treated as three largely allopatric species:

* Striated heron, Butorides striata – Widespread throughout the Old World tropics and in South America (Note that the grammatical gender of the specific name has been corrected from striatus)
* Lava heron, Butorides sundevalli – Endemic to the Galápagos Islands off Ecuador
* Green heron, Butorides virescens – Widespread from temperate North America south to Panama

These herons are tool-using animals. They are regularly seen picking up objects to use as a fishing lure, attracting prey fish.

* Striated heron on the Galápagos Islands
* Lava heron on the Galápagos Islands
* Green heron in Florida

## Footnotes

* ↑ Norris (1975), Boswall (1983), Walsh et al. (1985), Robinson (1994)
