Great Blue Heron Fishing

Although Great Blue Herons are colonial nesters, they forage by themselves, usually by slowly wading or standing in wait of prey in shallow water.  Fish are the mainstay of their diet, but they also consume amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles, mammals, and birds.  When prey is located (by sight), the heron rapidly thrusts its neck forward and grabs it with its beak.  If it is small, it is sometimes tossed in the air before it is swallowed, as the photograph depicts.  Most prey are swallowed whole.

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