Remember the Green Herons at El Rio? The photo below was from that recent ‘shape-shifter’ post which you can reread here. Green Herons hunt stealthily, using a sit-and-wait strategy. They will crouch down low with their necks tucked in. When an unsuspecting fish swims nearby, they will rapidly uncoil and extend their neck and either grab or spear their prey.
Here is the rest of the story. The Heron had edged slightly forward on the dead tree branch. It spotted a nearby fish and attacked. The bird’s head was completely submerged.
As the Green Heron’s head emerged from the water, the bird was still standing on its tiptoes.
Now standing on just one foot, the Green Heron brought the fish completely out of the water.
Once a Heron catches its fish, no matter the size, it needs to be sure the fish won’t wiggle free and is positioned correctly to be swallowed. This action can happen in the blink of an eye.
The Green Heron gave a vigorous shake to flick away excess water and any debris that it might have picked up while catching the fish.
With the fish subdued and excess water gone, the Green Heron can toss the fish into the air, open its bill wide, and swallow its snack. This all happens so very quickly, and then the Green Heron will continue looking for more prey to eat. I wrote a post one year ago that showed a Green Heron at El Rio swallowing fish. You can revisit that post here.
"Shapeshifter". Nice!