Grey Heron ( Ardea cinerea ) Eat fish from July to December 2023

Gray Heron is a large wading bird that is commonly found catching fish in urban rivers.
Young individuals have a pale, grayish body coloration.
0:00 Close-up
0:22 Step back
0:38 Eat fish and wash their bill
4:51 Captured an insect
5:23 A young individual flies
5:42 Eurasian Wigeons are nearby
5:54 Mallards are nearby
Links
Eurasian Wigeon ( Mareca penelope ) Migrated to Japan in November 2023
• Eurasian Wigeon ( Mare...
Mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) Males and Females in October and November 2023
• Mallard ( Anas platyrh...

[@Rosalitanikenwidiasmasari01]

こんにちは、お元気ですか、頑張ってください。

[@BirdsOfJapan]

こんにちは。私は元気です、ありがとう。あなたにも幸運を。

[@ultimatemexicano3535]

Amazing footage! That looks like a sizable fish (do you know what kind?) 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 long throat! I wonder, does the large 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.

[@BirdsOfJapan]

Thank you for your attentive watching. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm sorry I don't know the kind of fish. When I found this heron, it was already holding the fish. The heron's lower bill was piercing the fish, but I don't know how it happened. As for the chance of escape, it is extremely rare, but apparently, there has been a case where a snake eel that was swallowed by a heron broke through its stomach wall and escaped, although I have never witnessed it directly. It is surprising.

[@ultimatemexicano3535]

@@BirdsOfJapan Oh interesting! That must be some hungry bird! Still, it seems difficult to me how the Heron deals with this particularly large fish! So the bird was actually able to fit (swallowed alive?!) that whole thing down its long/skinny throat completely somehow?? I have never witnessed an event like this before. I feel somewhat perplexed over how it actually happens, wouldn't the fish stand a chance of escaping or even damaging (it’s sharp fins, wriggling, biting, etc.) the bird's throat/stomach if eaten in that condition?! It’s hard for me to imagine that the potential meal (wouldn't the prey also go into a desperate "survival mode" once it realized that it hit the stomach?) doesn't turn around inside the elastic gullet and how the bird can keep down/digest such an object with no issues? I don't have much knowledge about these events and am mostly curious, I appreciate any feedback/explanation. Sorry for all of the questions, you have some other neat shots too, have a nice week 😀

[@BirdsOfJapan]

I would be honored if my video sparked your curiosity. I'm an amateur birdwatcher and I don't know if I can satisfy your curiosity, but I'll try my best by expressing my opinion based on what I've watched. When a heron swallows a fish, it always swallows the head first, but it doesn't seem to pay attention to anything else. Sometimes they easily swallow larger fish than the one in this video. It is also possible to swallow prey that is thicker than the heron's neck, and when this happens, the heron's neck can be seen expanding to the shape of the prey. The heron's digestive system is so powerful that it is almost impossible for the swallowed fish to survive. Thank you for your comment. I hope you have a wonderful week too.