Heron eating a stoat

[243kingfisher]

Hi, the other day i went to my local wildlife patch and saw a heron killl and eat an adult stoat! i couldnt belive it, i knew the eat fish and anfibians but i was unawear that mammals were part of there diet. is this sighting unusual and has anybody else ever seen anything like this before?

Many thanks!

[Gill Catton]

Herons will eat anything that moves - if they think they can swallow it they'l have a go! moorhens, ducklings, Rats and I think even young cats have been eaten by them too.

[The Woodman]

That was a lucky observation. I've seen herons eat field voles and heard of a water vole being eaten but never a stoat.

[Burko]

Rabbits too YouTube - Heron Eats Rabbit

I've seen one with a carp that I estimated to be around 4lb in weight.

[rossy]

good for the heron and yes they will eat just about anything that gets too close ! very similar to pelicans, remember watching one on tv swallow a wrigling pigeon, rossy.

[RKB]

I've seen one eat an Avocet

[PMG]

They are regularly seen eating water rails when the tide flushes them out of marshland - the herons are waiting.

I watched one it a half grown tufted duck once - it really mauled the young young duck before the duck was dazed enough to be swallowed.

There is an amazing photo on Bird Guides at the moment with one preparing to swallow a decent sized pike - I'm told the heron one and ate the pike eventually but stood around for a long time afterwards!!!

[RKB]

Originally Posted by PMG

They are regularly seen eating water rails when the tide flushes them out of marshland - the herons are waiting.

And Water Rails are regularly seen eating smaller birds too.

It's like one of those ten-bird roasts....

[BillyPilgrim]

I did wonder if Herons ate other birds after witnessing this...



I've no idea why the Pigeon was in the water but it looked to be struggling. After preventing it from climbing out of the water the Heron followed it to the bank and into the bushes where I suppose it may have eaten it?

[theresa dockery]

Originally Posted by RKB

I've seen one eat an Avocet

An adult Avocet?!?

This is like the time I discovered that Pelicans can eat pigeons...I can never look at them with the same eyes again...