Scoop: A juvenile Little Blue Heron with an armored catfish (Loricariidae) catch.
I had been working on molting Little Blue Herons for months when I came upon this unexpected scene in Aug of 2017 at a marsh type area adjoining one of many intercon- nected ponds at the edge of Estero in SW Florida. The almost adult heron was
clenching an armored catfish of the Pleco (suckermouth) variety which I had never seen
before. It turned out to be a much maligned import from South America, said to have
no predators. Though the little blue wader is known to eat a variety of small creatures,
fish and even snakes, it seemed to have trouble gripping the catfish. It did manage
to take off with the catch, to a place where neither my eyes nor lens could follow..
I had been working on molting Little Blue Herons for months when I came upon this unexpected scene in Aug of 2017 at a marsh type area adjoining one of many intercon- nected ponds at the edge of Estero in SW Florida. The almost adult heron was
clenching an armored catfish of the Pleco (suckermouth) variety which I had never seen
before. It turned out to be a much maligned import from South America, said to have
no predators. Though the little blue wader is known to eat a variety of small creatures,
fish and even snakes, it seemed to have trouble gripping the catfish. It did manage
to take off with the catch, to a place where neither my eyes nor lens could follow..
During Jan of 2018 I made a similar observation in the same vicinity.
This time it involved a Great Egret which had speared the same type
of armored catfish, albeit a smaller one. So much for “no predators”...
That claim can be laid to rest in all evidence.
This time it involved a Great Egret which had speared the same type
of armored catfish, albeit a smaller one. So much for “no predators”...
That claim can be laid to rest in all evidence.
