This Video Of Heron Gulping Down A Huge Rat Is Not For Faint-hearted

Great blue herons are often admired for their elegance and majestic presence, seen wading calmly in ponds and marshes. Despite the rat’s size, it slid down the heron’s narrow throat easily with surprising ease, though there was a tense moment when the rat’s tail hung out from the bird’s mouth. The witness, trying to enjoy a yoga session, found the scene unsettling and described the battle between the bird and its prey even more disturbing which “was not a sight for the faint of heart.” “The rat fought hard for its life, but was mortally wounded by the heron’s beak, and then held by its neck and shook till it asphyxiated. The blue herons come from the arroyo and La River eat the rats at Sycamore Park then head home.” Another user added, “These things eat anything that fits in their mouths. Didn’t realize there were herons in NYC.” A viewer quipped, “Forgive me, Heron, I was not familiar with your game.” According to Dr. Dustin Partridge, NYC Bird Alliance’s director of conservation and science, these birds have a broad diet that includes various small animals.