Claudio Contreras / Green heron (Butorides virescens), Xochimilco wetlands, Mexico City, June

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Green-backed heron (Butorides striatus) jumping, Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles

George Sanker / Green heron (Butorides virescens) hunting for fish, camouflaged against tree roots, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, March

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / Striated green heron (Butorides striatus) jumping to catch dragonfly prey, Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Indian Ocean

Rolf Nussbaumer / Green heron {Butoides virescens} chick portrait, Welder Wildlife Refuge, Sinton, Texas, USA.

Tom Vezo / Green heron with frog prey {Butorides virescens} Mexico

Tom Vezo / Green heron {Butorides virescens} Mexico

Tom Vezo / Green heron with eggs on nest {Butorides virescens} Mexico

Tom Vezo / Green heron {Butorides virescens} Mexico

Jeff Vanuga / Lava heron (Butorides sundevalli) on Santiago Island. Galapagos Islands.

Bruno D'Amicis / Green heron (Butorides virescens) in Chuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve, Cuba.

David Tipling / Striated / Green-backed heron (Butorides striata degens) Seychelles race, Alphonse Atoll, Seychelles

David Tipling / Striated / Green-backed heron (Butorides striata degens) perched in rain, Alphonse Atoll, Seychelles

John Chan / Juvenile Green heron (Butorides virenscens) catching fish from perch over a tidal inlet, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Southern California, USA, August.

John Chan / Juvenile Green heron (Butorides virenscens) catching fish from perch over a tidal inlet, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Southern California, USA, August.

John Chan / Juvenile Green heron (Butorides virenscens) catching fish from perch over a tidal inlet, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Southern California, USA, August.

John Chan / Juvenile Green heron (Butorides virenscens) catching fish from perch over a tidal inlet, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, Southern California, USA, August.

Claudio Contreras / Green Heron (Butorides virescens), Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, May

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Striated heron (Butorides striata) with Scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae) in beak, standing on rock. Oman, November

Ann & Steve Toon / Greenbacked heron (Butorides striatus) walking through water, Zimanga private game reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Ann & Steve Toon / Greenbacked heron (Butorides striatus) peering from perch, Zimanga private game reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Lucas Bustamante / Green Heron (Butorides virescens). Yasuni National Park, Orellana, Ecuador

John Shaw / Striated heron (Butorides striata) standing on giant Amazon waterlily leaf (Victoria amazonica). Porto Jofre, Pantanal, Brazil. September.

George Sanker / Green heron (Butorides virescens) fishing from branch perch above water. Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. March.

Tony Heald / Green-backed heron (Butorides striata) Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Nick Hawkins / Lava / Galapagos heron (Butorides sundevalli) with Marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) in background. Isabela Island, Galapagos.

Nick Hawkins / Lava / Galapagos heron (Butorides sundevalli) standing amongst volcanic rocks. Isabela Island, Galapagos.

John Chan / Green heron (Butorides virescens) stalking and catching a Topsmelt silverside (Atherinops affinis) on the edge of a tidal flat, Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, California, USA, September.

Tui De Roy / Striated heron (Butorides striata) with crab prey, Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island, Galapagos

Tui De Roy / Striated heron (Butorides striata) hunting on coast, Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island, Galapagos

Tui De Roy / Lava heron (Butorides sundevalli) Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island, Galapagos

Tui De Roy / Lava heron (Butorides sundevalli) Punta Suarez, Es[a¤ola Island, Galapapgos

Bernard Castelein / Striated heron (Butorides striatus) Madidi National Park, Bolivia

Roy Mangersnes / Striated heron (Butorides striata) fishing in the surf, Fernandina Island, Galapagos.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Green heron (Butorides virescens) mouth of the Río Plátano, Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Mosquitia, Honduras.

Melvin Grey / Green heron (Butorides virescens virescens) adult fishing in shallow tidal flow. Speyside, Tobago

Wim van den Heever / Green backed / Striated heron (Butorides striata) hunting low across water, Zimanga Private Game Reserve, South Africa.

Graham Eaton / Green-backed Heron (Butorides striatus) or Striated Heron, fishing in swamp.Cayenne, French Guiana. July.

Melvin Grey / Green-backed heron (Butorides striatus virescens) adult male, Shark Valley, Florida, USA, February.

Paul Hobson / Green heron (Butorides virescens) in tree, Florida, USA, February.

Paul Hobson / Green heron (Butorides virescens) in tree, Florida, USA, February.

Paul Hobson / Green heron (Butorides virescens) in tree, Florida, USA, February.

Ernie Janes / Green-backed heron (Butorides striatus) perched on drift wood in lagoon, Fort Myers Beach, Gulf Coast, Florida, USA, March.

Steven David Miller / Green heron (Butorides virescens) fishing in reeds, Shark Valley, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA, March.

Pete Oxford / Lava heron (Butorides sundevalli) perched on volcanic rock. Galapagos. Endemic.

Pete Oxford / Lava Heron (Butorides sundevalli) adult and juvenile, Galapagos. Endemic.

Claudio Contreras / Green heron (Butorides virescens), Xochimilco wetlands, Mexico City, June

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Lava heron (Butorides sundevalli) on rock, Galapagos. Endemic.