Anyone who has visited New York has seen the size of their rats. These massive rodents make even the least squeamish people squirm. One creature that doesn't shy away from these scurrying creatures is the blue heron. Rather, when this bird sees these pesky rodents, all they see is their dinner. Watch this insane video where a blue heron swallows a giant rat whole!
Watch A Blue Heron Swallow A Giant Rat Whole
Central Park Blue Heron Devours City Rat Whole
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A Central Park visitor was just out enjoying a nice day in the sun when they caught something insane on video. This individual shared the crazy footage on Reddit. They share a description of the event in the caption above the video. The individual shared that they were doing yoga with a friend when they saw this majestic bird.
Then, they continued with the following description.
"Soon we realized it was hunting a huge rat. The battle did not go well for the rat, and the process was not a sight for the faint of heart."
How right they were. The video shows the blue heron swallow the giant rat whole. It begins with the blue heron holding the rat's limp body in its beak. When the Reddit user zooms in, viewers can clearly see that this rat lives up to the New York size standards.
The blue heron makes direct eye contact with the filmer, almost seeming to say, "Are you sure you want to watch this?"
Graphic Footage
Screenshot from Reddit
From there, the blue heron begins the process of swallowing the giant rat whole. It lowers its head and produces motions similar to a snake. Viewers can see the bird slowly lowering it's beak over the rat's lifeless body inch by inch. It then lifts its head and begins to throw its head back slightly as it tosses the giant rat down it's throat.
Viewers can see the bulge in its throat as the blue heron swallows the giant rat. It seems to take a momentary pause in the eating process, where nothing but the rat's tail is hanging out of its beak. With some final gulping motions, the blue heron swallows the rat whole.
The person who recorded the video mentions some details about the encounter. They say,
"The rat fought hard and valiantly for it's life, but was mortally wounded by the heron's beak, and then held by it's neck and shoot till it asphyxiated."
Although this may not be something that is captured on camera everyday, this scene is not out of the ordinary. The NY Post shares this quote from Dr. Dustin Partridge, NYC Bird Alliance's director of conservation and science.
"Great blue herons and egrets will eat any kind of small animals they come across."
He continues by stating,
"While great blue herons will typically eat fish, they will very happily take any amphibians, reptiles, or mammals that they come across, and that rat is easy prey. Well, maybe not easy, but it's available prey."
Regardless of it being typical blue heron eating habits, watching this chilling video as the blue heron swallows a giant rat whole is anything but ordinary for the average viewer.
