GREEN-BACKED HERON
Butorides striatus

Groenrugreier (Afrikaans)

HABITAT
Found along the coastal areas and flood plains of eastern KwaZulu-Natal on densely vegetated rivers, streams, pans, lakes and mangrove swamps.

TYPE
A small, short necked, blackish green heron. It is grey below with a white throat and a buff line down the foreneck. The eyes are yellow, the bill is black above and greenish yellow below and the legs and feed are grey brown. This shy, skulking bird is partially nocturnal.

BREEDING
It nests from September to February in KwaZulu-Natal building a flimsy platform of sticks, twigs and reeds near the end of branches of trees which may be over water. It nests singly or in small colonies. It lays 2 or 3 pale greeny blue eggs.

FOOD
It strikes its prey from its perch, from the shoreline and sometimes submerges part of its body in the water when it strikes. The food consists of fish, frogs, small reptiles, insects, spiders, crustaceans and mollusvs.

STATUS
It is an uncommon resident but can be locally abundant.