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Posted by Paddy Cunningham on 16:40:10 04/18/05
In Reply to: Great Blue Heron posted by Gary Stephan
Hi Gary,
Without seeing the bird on the nest prior to the feeding it would be difficult to determine if it was a parent or a predator. I know I have seen Great Blue Herons eating many things including a hard-shelled slider turtle, snakes, crayfish, lizards, eels and of course lots of different fish. I wouldn't put it past them to eat other herons chicks. I know I personally observed a Black-crowned NIght Heron eat a Moorhen chick once. The sound of the dying chick I will never forget.
Paddy
Yesterday at Arthur Marshall Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge I witnessed something that I've never seen before and was wondering if anyone knew of this behavior and could shed some light on it.
: There have been Great Blue Herons nesting in trees just south of the first containment pond for the past few years.
: Yesterday an adult Great Blue Heron ate the hatchlings in the nest. I don't know if it was a parent or another Great Blue. Do parents ever eat their young? Do Great Blues leave the nest to find food?
: I'm sure of what I saw. The Great Blue ate 5 hatchlings in a row and the chirpping noise of the chicks became less and less until it was no more.
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