Amazing footage! That first fish looks pretty large (a fully grown/adult Goby?) the bird caught! The fish was struggling, but the hungry Heron managed to fully consume (alive?!) it all okay? It looked like the unlucky thing was desperately kicking sliding down that throat! I wonder, does the sizable fish stand any chance of escaping if eaten in that condition? Maybe it can turn around inside the elastic throat/stomach and has a chance of survival here.
Great captures! I wonder what exactly she is looking for, the fish is in such shallow water, thick in plants. Do you think it stuns the fish with the first attack and the later open beak stabs separate the plant matter? Sometimes she gets the fish on the first attack. Very cool
Thanks. I’m not sure but my best guess is that she learned to do this through trial and error and she just happened to figure out that this strategy sometimes works. I have seen a night heron pick up a rib out of the garbage in the local park and it brought it too the water and used it as bait or so it seemed to me. It made me think herons are a lot smarter than I gave them credit for. I think the fish is really good at hiding. Watch how carefully the bird watches as it probes its bill. I think every capture is different. Sometimes she may stun them and other times she waits and probes. I was watching a couple other night herons fishing recently and I was wondering if they too might do this but I haven’t seen it yet. I’ll have to see more attempts I think and watch it carefully.
@@jimzenor9148 I always have questions when I watch your videos. You have reinvented yourself and now explore Bosa Chica, I am enjoying every new discovery, thank you.
@@uncertainzee thanks Rod. I didn’t recognize the name at first. I still look for my heron hunting gophers but these guys are fascinating too. I really hope for a night heron catching a gopher. I have seen them in El Dorado hunting gophers but not catching one yet. Funny I sometimes go by Jimpanzee. Fortunately my real middle name isn’t Pan or I might get mistaken for the ape.
