Morning Grooming

Every morning, while sitting on the deck, I never know what is in store at the pond. Yesterday, for example, a couple of snapping turtles surprised me with their attempts at mating — I had never seen snapping turtles here before. Today, however, a regular came back to enjoy the morning sun and catch brunch.

You may recall earlier this month, when I featured a Green Heron (Butorides virescens) sunbathing (this is the post). Whether it is the same one, I cannot say. However, it was enjoying the morning sun again. What was new today, though, was its grooming routine. As it moved closer to me, I took advantage of the opportunity to observe it.

Perched on a trunk, this heron had an intent look out into the distance. From time to time, it would hear something and raise its head feathers, a common behavior Green Herons exhibit when they are alert to their surroundings. It’s a cautionary move — and a dramatic-looking one. That crest is made of specialized crown feathers the bird lifts at will, the same feathers it flares when threatening a rival or bracing to flush with its sharp “skeow” alarm call.

When it realized there was nothing to worry about and no food nearby, it was time to do some grooming. That was the first time I watched it in that behavior. It was quite interesting, especially when it tried to reach its back.

Even with its long beak, it was not always easy. While trying to do that, it allowed me to see more of its beautiful teal feather colors. It also showed me they can be quite flexible. I later learned that Green Herons carry hidden patches of powder-down feathers, specialized feathers that crumble into a fine powder the bird works through its plumage to soak up mud and fish slime before preening it back out. They’ve even got a built-in comb for the job — the middle claw on a heron’s foot has a serrated edge, used for raking through the feathers on the face and neck that the bill can’t quite reach on its own.

The show did not stop there. While standing on one leg, it proceeded to open its wing. I had to contain my amazement at how beautiful its colors are.

Since I often see Green Herons crouched and looking for food, I had never seen this wing spread before. It turns out this is how they work oil from a gland at the base of the tail out along each flight feather, keeping their plumage waterproof.

Finally, before it flew off, it was time to fluff those feathers and get them all tucked away. It’s easy to underestimate this little bird — Green Herons run only about 16 to 18 inches long (41 to 46 cm), with a wingspan of roughly 25 inches (64 cm) — but they are one of the very few bird species on Earth known to use tools, with some individuals dropping bread crusts, insects, or twigs onto the water to lure fish within striking range.

There’s a nice thread back to Brazil in all this, too: the Green Heron is a close cousin of the Striated Heron I’ve photographed there (this is the post), so close that for decades the two were considered the very same species before taxonomists split them apart. Half a hemisphere apart, and yet this morning’s visitor and that Brazilian heron share the same patient, watchful stillness.

That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Bird of the Week, Green Heron, Teravista, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.

Posted for I.J. Khanewala’s Birds of the Week Invitation CLXXIX.

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Sources:

• Green Heron Behavior — Birds of the World — https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/grnher/cur/behavior
• Powder Down — BirdNote — https://www.birdnote.org/podcasts/birdnote-daily/powder-down
• Green Heron Overview — Cornell Lab, All About Birds — https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/overview
• Green Herons: Birds That Bait — Northern Woodlands — https://northernwoodlands.org/outside_story/article/green-herons
• The Clever Way Green Herons Lure Prey — Audubon — https://www.audubon.org/news/the-clever-way-green-herons-lure-prey
• Butorides — Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butorides