Lava Heron

Last updated: June 29, 2001

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Lava Heron

Catch fish Adjust grip These four photos show the process of a Lava Heron (Butorides sundevalli) swallowing a fish (in this case, a Sargeant Major: Abudefduf troschelli). First, he (she?) caught the fish, then adjusted it in its beak, and after about 2 minutes of trying, finally swallowed it. The fish seemed bigger than the bird's head, and if you look at the final image, you can see a huge lump travelling down the throat. The heron seemed none the worse for wear afterwards, however.

Swallowing Throat bump