Kip’s Comments - September 18, 2023

Sep 18

Do Great Blue Herons Belch After Gorging?

Unexpected splashing and movement caught my attention this morning when I found a great blue heron rendering a good sized sucker (fish) quiet and breakfast-worthy. The heron knew I was nearby in a canoe, but did not chance losing this meal.

I did not realize how aggressive a heron could be until I watched this action. First the heron skewered the sucker. Then it held it out of water squeezing it, followed by putting it in the water and drilling it like a woodpecker cuts a hole in a tree. Finally the heron, out of sight and in one quick swoop behind leaves, dropped the subdued sucker down its throat. I almost expected to hear a belch from the heron.

To watch this was a maybe a once-in-a-lifetime activity I will never forget.