The Green Heron is distributed in the USA, Central America and the West Indies. It has been included as a sub-species of Green-backed Heron Butorides striata by the HBW and Birdlife International Checklist. Other authorities regard it as a distinct species (see Monroe, B.L., Jr. & M. R. Browning, 1992. A re-analysis of Butorides - Bull. Brit. Orn. Cl., 112 (2): 81-85)

It has an iridescent green back and dark chestnut neck with a white stripe with black borders down the middle of the foreneck.