Black-crowned Night Heron 1, Bullfrog 0

It couldn’t pass up such a large meal

Black-crowned Night Herons generally hunt from dusk to dawn- that’s how they got their name. But they are opportunistic feeders. If they are standing still at the water’s edge and something edible appears, they won’t pass it up. I was walking on a trail in Sweetwater Wetlands when this Night Heron stabbed at an American Bullfrog that ventured close.

Often, Egrets and Herons may take a while to subdue a Bullfrog and swallow it, but this Black-crowned Night Heron wasted no time. It somehow got the Bullfrog into the right position and then began swallowing. You can see quite a bulge in the throat of the Heron.

It tipped its head up to ease the process. You can see that the Heron has engaged its nictitating membrane over its eye. That hazy surface allows the Heron to see while offering the protection from any wild kick of the Bullfrog.

All that is left visible of the Bullfrog is its flippers- its hind feet!

One more gulp......

And dinner was served. I find it amazing that a Black-crowned Night Heron, weighing perhaps two pounds, can comfortably swallow a Bullfrog that may weigh up to one pound! There is a significant size difference, but the Bullfrog is built out of muscle and the Heron is built with feathers and hollowed bones filled with air sacs. I don’t know of many creatures that can quickly consume a meal that is half of its own body weight!!!

The Black-crowned Night Heron moved from the edge of the water to a slightly higher perch. It won’t need to hunt again for a while.