"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 striatus, but are now treated as three largely allopatric species:
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