Colorado is the home of many different birds, coated with a whole plethora of unqiue colors and patterns. This article will simply be going over 5 green birds scattered across Colorado along with a few interesting facts about each avian on the list.

• Green Heron
• Red Eyed Vireo
• Ruby Crowned Kinglet
• Violet Green Swallow
• Mallard

5 Green Birds In Colorado

1. Green Heron (Butorides Virescens)

• Size: 40 – 44cm
• Weight: 230 – 250 grams
• Wingspan: 54 – 58cm

You’ll find green herons around the eastern border of Colorado when they’re going through their period breeding in the spring and summer months. 

These heron’s are recognised by their darker green back and wings, maroon chest and neck, with yellow legs and a relatively long and pointy black beak. Females on the other hand are mostly brown and gray in color.

Green herons tend to spend the majority of their time around wetlands like lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps, streamsides and rivers. 

As for what they consume, it includes a variety of different sources such as small fish like minnows, sunfishes, gizzard shads, crustaceans, aquatic insects, frogs, tadpoles, grasshoppers, snakes, earthworms, snails and other smaller rodents.

Green herons don’t have the longest of lifespans for a bird of their size, with the maximum known life expectancy said to be around 8 years.

2. Red Eyed Vireo (Vireo Olivaceus)

• Size: 11 – 13cm
• Weight: 20 – 24 grams
• Wingspan: 23 – 25cm

Red eyed vireos are summer and spring residents around the central and eastern part of Colorado. 

These vireos are recognised by there green feathers from the head, wings and back, white feathers on their breast and the stand out red eye. The females look very similar to the males.

As for where you’ll often see these birds perching or flying around, it would include environments with large expanses of deciduous forest, particularly deciduous trees with large leaves, like maple trees for example. 

Red eyed vireos tend to eat mostly insects like caterpillars, moths, beetles, wasps, bees, ants, bugs, flies, as well as the occasional fruit and berry.

Red eyed vireos tend to live for around 6 – 7 years, whilst the oldest recorded one died at 10 years and 2 months.

3. Ruby Crowned Kinglet (Regulus Calendula)

• Size: 9 – 11cm
• Weight: 5 – 10 grams
• Wingspan: 16 – 18cm

Ruby crowned kinglets consider Colorado as one of their breeding residents on the western region of the state whilst these birds will typically remain in the rest of the state when migrating. 

These kinglets are recognised by their gray and green plumage throughout, besides the red/orange color on the top of their head. Females look almost the same bar the orange/red element on the head.

Ruby crowned kinglets will often be found by tall, dense conifer forests such as spruce, fir, and tamarack.

These kinglets eat the same food sources as most other birds in the wild, which in this case would be small insects, small berries, seeds and other smaller fruits.

As for how long a ring crowned kinglet can live for, it’s estimated to be around 4 – 6 years.

4. Violet Green Swallow (Tachycineta Thalassina)

• Size: 13 – 14cm
• Weight: 13 – 15 grams
• Wingspan: 26 – 28cm

Violet green swallows can be found in almost all of Colorado bar the western border when breeding. Their breeding season tends to begin around late March to April and will end once fall arrives.

These swallows are recognised by their darker green upper back and upper head, graysish/green wings and tail feathers along with a white face and breast. Females look very similar to the males.

Violet green swallows can be found around deciduous and coniferous forest where you’ll see them nesting within tree holes.

These swallows feed on a variety flying insects like flies, true bugs, wasps, winged ants, wild bees, beetles, moths etc. like most others. They will also eat the occasional berry or seed if they come across some.

The oldest recorded violet green swallow lived for 9 years and 1 month but, the typical lifespan for these birds will be at least a couple years less.

5. Mallard (Anas Platyrhynchos)

• Size: 50 – 65cm
• Weight: 0.72 – 1.6kg
• Wingspan: 81 – 98cm

Mallards can be spotted in Colorado all throughout the year, specially in areas within the state that suit their lifestyle.

You’ll be able to recognise mallards by their dark, iridescent green head, brown neck, brown stripes upon the upper level of the wing with the remainder of their body a cream/white color. Females on the other hand are a mostly light brown patterned color with both male and females having orange webbed feets.

Mallards prefer calm, shallow sanctuaries, but can be found in almost any body of freshwater, which can include wetlands, saltwater and brackish water.

These ducks tend mostly to consume seeds, acorns and berries, plants, insects and shellfish.

In regards to lifespan, these mallards are known to live for around 5 – 10 years in the wild.