3 Species in One
Green herons are one of the smaller, more colorful species of heron in Michigan with purple-green plumage and striking orange eyes. On Kingswood Lake, look for them in tightly packed bushes along the water, balancing on branches while looking for fish. While Green herons are distinct from most North American counterparts, due to similar characteristics with two other small heron groups, the striated heron and Galapagos heron, the three are sometimes considered the same species!
Clever Hunter
Green herons are some of the few birds that are well documented actively using tools while hunting, dropping small insects, bread crumps, and sticks into the water to try to get fish to bite. This behavior has been observed on Kingswood Lake, and if you watch for long enough you might be able to see it! The individual above had dropped a small bread crumb (the white dot next to the lily pad), and was waiting for any sudden movements in the water!
More encounters
