Watch this water bird that nests in trees

The green heron, videoed by Jenna Wise in Lewiston, is not as big as some other heron species, such as the great blue seen commonly in Maine’s marshes.

This bird is about the size of a crow, mallard duck or herring gull. It lives near lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps and streams, but is most often found near small ponds, according to the Audubon Society.

It builds its nests — generally a platform of sticks with other material added — in a variety of places including willow thickets, mangroves, dry woods and open marshes, usually from 5 to 30 feet off the ground, often near the water, the Audubon says.

Green heron parents both feed their babies by regurgitating food for them. Even though the babies can usually fly after about three weeks, the parents continue to feed them for a while, according to Audubon.

The water birds eat mostly small fish, but will also consume crayfish, insects, frogs, tadpoles, grasshoppers, snakes, worms, snails and small rodents.

It generally is a more southern species but has been creeping ever northward as temperatures warm with climate change.