In case anyone doesn't know. The reason the heron half swallows its meal, especially bigger meals. And waits for a few minutes between gulps is that herons throats aren't that big. That heron swallow alittle and waits because the heron is allowing time for his throat to expand to accommodate its larger meal.
Before I met this particular bird, I too underestimated herons. I followed this bird off and on for more than a year. She was quite old and was missing feathers on her crop and she had a crooked toe but this bird was very surprisingly clever and really so aware of her environment. She could detect gophers when we would be clueless of their presence and then devise a good strategy to catch them. I know it might seem like I’m exaggerating her abilities but I don’t think so. She always managed to impress me.
I'm not sure. The back feet were still kicking. If the spine was severed it wouldn't be doing that. But then what caused the gopher to die? Heart attack from stress?
Yes if the heron remains still, I don’t think a gopher can see it at all. I have seen this same heron strike at gophers at point blank range and the gophers were too quick. They can be very fast at moving backwards.
That Gopher never finished digging his home. That initial beak stab must of been very effective, Mr Gopher did his last poop and released his ghost in under a minute. ... I hated gophers as a kid when they destroyed my yard and dad had me try to flush them out but for the first time i truly feel bad for him.
@@paulmorris9605 not only do they destroy/uproot all my crops from underneath, when I see them and try to shoo them away, they chase me and try to bite me.
Don't know where they filmed the clip.... However, I used to live in the Monterey Bay area in Central coastal Ca.... Used to watch the big herons hunt for gophers in the park in Santa Cruz.....
@@No-xq5oh No, stabbing the heart won't kill immediately. The brain will survive for few seconds. That's exactly what's happening here. The Gopher is moving and fighting for a short time and suddenly stopped moving.
This was kind of an unusual one. I watched it in slow motion and the heron actually does strike it pretty hard in the back with her super sharp bill. I suspect she got a lung. I haven’t seen too many go that easily.
@@jimzenor9148 just eat something normal, and put the pill in your mouth with the rest , you can swallot then just the food with the pill in one go. wont notice its even there.
This particular heron died about a month later. It was my favorite heron and really by far my favorite wild animal so for me it kind of breaks my heart a bit just to watch her again. She had been struggling so I was happy she got a good meal. Anyway thanks.
This park is pretty close to the 605 Freeway and Wardlow Road so I end up getting background noises from that. I also sometimes hear gardeners, walkers, birds, and airplanes etc.
Gopher is struggling and then without any further blows it suddenly and completely stops. I wondered if it decided to play dead but an online search says gophers don't play dead 🤔
Usually it is really obvious but yeah this kill was unusual. I suspect that initial spear was deeper and deadlier than it appears. This heron was old and very expert.
how did that gopher actually die? it’s interesting to see sometimes, maybe it’s just the video edits but it looked like that gopher was dead almost immediately after it was in the heron’s mouth, without being poked a bunch with the beak, etc
This was an unusual kill for this heron. This bird was very consistent about hitting their heads but in this instance I think her bill actually penetrated deeper than it seemed and hit the lung or heart. I’ve seen gophers struggling for many minutes at times and it did seem odd that this gophers died so quickly. This particular gopher was very memorable for me because I would wait for the heron on a bench about a half hour before sunrise and the heron would consistently walk out of the cattails and stand near me for about 5 minutes and then she would go gopher hunting. For about two weeks she would always go to this particular gopher mound first. It was a very large gopher. Anyway she finally got it and I was happy for her because she was recovering from a limp. I didn’t edit the video except stringing video clips together. The light was darker than it appears and my camera was struggling to maintain focus.
@@nemesis9330 I used my Canon R6 and my Canon Ef 400 mm DO lens. I think it works very well for video if I get favorable lighting. In that case, the lighting was very low but my camera makes it look brighter. The color stands out more but the autofocus doesn’t work well in these conditions. That’s why the focus kept messing up. I have learned to use manual focus in these circumstances but the auto focus is generally better than my attempt to use manual even with their focus guides.
Yeah I think so. This heron usually brings the larger gophers to water and they definitely are easier to swallow wet. I’ve seen them catch a lot of gophers.
Yeah the bird swallowed it. The video did show it so maybe some glitch happened when you viewed it. I just double checked and the bird did manage to wolf it down
This is the heron I called Greta. I think that gopher on Caddyshack would be in real trouble if Greta starred in that film. But It might have been more like a Freddy Krueger film.
Yeah I agree. This heron was usually very consistent at hitting behind the head. It may be the only time that I saw her strike mid back but it did seem effective and the gopher died quickly. I think she may have hit the heart
A real Christian bird, it washes its food, then says Grace "give me this day my daily supply of gopher or any other suitable swallowable lively peace of meat" and then gulps it down.
I’ve watched it in slow motion a couple days ago and I think she stabbed it pretty hard initially. I agree it’s hard to tell in this video because it’s really fast and I’m not sure
It is unusual. I think this bird actually struck deeper in the back than it appeared. It looked like the gopher just died of fright but I think it probably was stabbed in the lung.
The heron asked ‘should i eat this? i replied,’you gopher it’.
😂
I can't stop laughing.
That was so original, amazing thought !!
God damn it, take my like!
I use to live on a lake/lagoon in So Florida and I'd always loved watching the blue herons catching fish and snakes from my back yard
The Heron looks a bit Thin. Good to see that it picked up a good sized meal. Also looks like it’s recovering
Yeah I thought so too and I saw it struggle a lot but it had good luck lately
It's an older bird. You can tell by the ruffled breast feathers.
Water = Nature’s Dipping Sauce
Dumb comment
Bruh... XD
In case anyone doesn't know. The reason the heron half swallows its meal, especially bigger meals. And waits for a few minutes between gulps is that herons throats aren't that big. That heron swallow alittle and waits because the heron is allowing time for his throat to expand to accommodate its larger meal.
I've seen something similar in 'certain' movies on the internet....lol
That was a big gopher indeed. Glad the GBH managed to recover from her injury.
Amazing heron! 🤗😍 I wish this long-legged girl good luck and good hunting (and lots of appetizing gophers...)
"Always wash your food before eating" Mama Heron
In size terms that's like me eating the neighbours dog whole😂
Can you imagine the fur you would poop out lol
What an amazing footage, thanks for this. I didn't know that herons are such ferocious predators. It just gobbles up the whole thing like a snake.
Before I met this particular bird, I too underestimated herons. I followed this bird off and on for more than a year. She was quite old and was missing feathers on her crop and she had a crooked toe but this bird was very surprisingly clever and really so aware of her environment. She could detect gophers when we would be clueless of their presence and then devise a good strategy to catch them. I know it might seem like I’m exaggerating her abilities but I don’t think so. She always managed to impress me.
@@jimzenor9148 I believe you, they almost look like big cats when they hunt, it's impressive.
Carl, the Assistant Head Greenskeeper, could have put this Blue Heron to good use.
Damn.. broke the backbone with one Stroke
I'm not sure. The back feet were still kicking. If the spine was severed it wouldn't be doing that. But then what caused the gopher to die? Heart attack from stress?
@@elevate32767yes, heart attack
awww the creek, natures dipping sauce
Wow, incredible footage!!
Thanks. The lighting was challenging but it did make the colors stand out.
Great catch..timing and patience.. Sorry for the gopher
Geez , gophers must be quite thick if they can't recognize danger at that close range
Yes if the heron remains still, I don’t think a gopher can see it at all. I have seen this same heron strike at gophers at point blank range and the gophers were too quick. They can be very fast at moving backwards.
Good lord.... Bon appetit girlfriend !! 👍
Once I swallowed a boiled egg. It was challenging. I am sure the heron also experienced similar predicament.
Wow that’s amazing if not a quail egg
I swallowed a grape once and even that was hard
That's like eating the whole pack of sausages all at once.
Wow. Amazing catch and video
Thanks. It was quite dark, just a bit of predawn light, but my camera handled it better than I expected.
Always soak your food in water before swallowing.
That can be a good advice for Herons and old people.
Kudos to camera man for not making a sound of excitement. Staying focused on capturing the moment.
That Gopher never finished digging his home. That initial beak stab must of been very effective, Mr Gopher did his last poop and released his ghost in under a minute. ... I hated gophers as a kid when they destroyed my yard and dad had me try to flush them out but for the first time i truly feel bad for him.
I need one of these guys on my farm! Gophers can be mean.
Lol
On a farm, you’ll probably need a few!🙂
mean how ?
@@paulmorris9605 not only do they destroy/uproot all my crops from underneath, when I see them and try to shoo them away, they chase me and try to bite me.
@@fuzz668 faie enough blitz those critters
She dips the carcass in water just prior to the swallow so that the wet body goes down easier. That's my theory. What's yours?
Yeah I agree 100%
Dipping sauce
For it to slide down easier ..
Nothing like a little lake water to help dinner slide down 👍
Thank god I'm 6-foot and 180lbs. Imagine living in a world with 20-foot birds strutting around.
I'm 7'3, 400 pounds, so pretty much nobody messes with me.
@@willldo4If it were a big enough dinosaur, you’d be an extra filling meal and nothing more.
Great video, good job Mr birdie!!!!
Talk about being, “stabbed in the back.”
Yeah if you’re a gopher, you better not turn your back on this bird
Don't know where they filmed the clip.... However, I used to live in the Monterey Bay area in Central coastal Ca.... Used to watch the big herons hunt for gophers in the park in Santa Cruz.....
Gopher, those teeth can be seen from space. Oops, heron found you first. No spacecraft needed.
The gopher died very fast. I think she stabbed the heart.
Looked like it fainted out of fright!
Yeah that’s what I said to my brother. He thought maybe it broke its back.
yea i noticed this too. really wonder what killed it?
if it stabbed the heart directly, it would die immediately.
@@No-xq5oh No, stabbing the heart won't kill immediately. The brain will survive for few seconds. That's exactly what's happening here. The Gopher is moving and fighting for a short time and suddenly stopped moving.
She is a stunning lady.
As the Hall and Oates song says: "I Can't Gopher That"
That’s funny. I might have to use that one for a future video title.
It seems as if her limp has been cured once and for all.😂😂
interesting, these little animals get heart attacks quickly
This was kind of an unusual one. I watched it in slow motion and the heron actually does strike it pretty hard in the back with her super sharp bill. I suspect she got a lung. I haven’t seen too many go that easily.
Just imagine having trained Herons for rent. You would put exterminators out of business
So the gopher died from a heart attack instead of the heron's bite?
I think she got it a little deeper than it appeared but I see your point. It almost looked like she scared it to death
I would feel bad for the gophers if they weren't actively destroying my yard.
That swallow was a struggle
Yeah it was. I struggle with my vitamin pill and that gopher was like thousands of pills
@@jimzenor9148 try juice instead of water.
@@jimzenor9148 just eat something normal, and put the pill in your mouth with the rest , you can swallot then just the food with the pill in one go. wont notice its even there.
Awesome video 💕
Thanks
Welcome 😊
No mustard?
I’m amazed she could fly after eating that.
Heartbreaking.. but stunning video
This particular heron died about a month later. It was my favorite heron and really by far my favorite wild animal so for me it kind of breaks my heart a bit just to watch her again. She had been struggling so I was happy she got a good meal. Anyway thanks.
How did this little thing die? It seems like it stop moving five seconds after the Heron caught it. What is it a shock?
Personally I think she stabbed it through the lungs or heart but it was very hard to be sure.
Did the gopher die? Did it get pierced by the Heron? Why does it dunk it in the water?
This heron would soak the big ones before swallowing. They definitely went down better when wet.
Were any gophers harmed during the production of this video???😅
No Gophers were not harmed in this video. They were reclaimed biodegradable items properly recycled into heron flesh.
The background noises sound like an alien planet.
This park is pretty close to the 605 Freeway and Wardlow Road so I end up getting background noises from that. I also sometimes hear gardeners, walkers, birds, and airplanes etc.
Awesome footage!! What camera are you using?
I have a Canon R6 and my lens is a Canon EF 400 mm DO
Gopher is struggling and then without any further blows it suddenly and completely stops. I wondered if it decided to play dead but an online search says gophers don't play dead 🤔
Usually it is really obvious but yeah this kill was unusual. I suspect that initial spear was deeper and deadlier than it appears. This heron was old and very expert.
She has lovely eyes
How did that Gopher even die? I dont think the beak pierced its skin?
Her beak is super sharp but I agree that did seem pretty shallow to kill that gopher. I think she must have hit a vital organ.
how did that gopher actually die? it’s interesting to see sometimes, maybe it’s just the video edits but it looked like that gopher was dead almost immediately after it was in the heron’s mouth, without being poked a bunch with the beak, etc
This was an unusual kill for this heron. This bird was very consistent about hitting their heads but in this instance I think her bill actually penetrated deeper than it seemed and hit the lung or heart. I’ve seen gophers struggling for many minutes at times and it did seem odd that this gophers died so quickly. This particular gopher was very memorable for me because I would wait for the heron on a bench about a half hour before sunrise and the heron would consistently walk out of the cattails and stand near me for about 5 minutes and then she would go gopher hunting. For about two weeks she would always go to this particular gopher mound first. It was a very large gopher. Anyway she finally got it and I was happy for her because she was recovering from a limp. I didn’t edit the video except stringing video clips together. The light was darker than it appears and my camera was struggling to maintain focus.
I like owls and herons, eat the whole prey, not wasting anything. Unlike other birds of prey like hawks and eagles only eat meat
I agree. Nose to tail gets all the nutrition and wastes nothing.
What are you using to record this?
@@nemesis9330 I used my Canon R6 and my Canon Ef 400 mm DO lens. I think it works very well for video if I get favorable lighting. In that case, the lighting was very low but my camera makes it look brighter. The color stands out more but the autofocus doesn’t work well in these conditions. That’s why the focus kept messing up. I have learned to use manual focus in these circumstances but the auto focus is generally better than my attempt to use manual even with their focus guides.
Was the heron soaked the gopher in water to make it easier to swallow?
Yeah I think so. This heron usually brings the larger gophers to water and they definitely are easier to swallow wet. I’ve seen them catch a lot of gophers.
That's gonna take a few days to digest. Probably won't need a meal for weeks.
Yeah you’d think but I have been amazed at how much these guys can eat.
Building a house one minute...digesting in a birds gut the next.
The stuff of life .
Alive one minute , dead the next 😢
and there go all your plans ..
That’s a great video
Thanks for sharing
Damn, Nature! You scary!
Cut short at the end ,did it go down
Yeah the bird swallowed it. The video did show it so maybe some glitch happened when you viewed it. I just double checked and the bird did manage to wolf it down
Poor little buddy was building his little home 😂
Amazing !
She ate him like she was dunking an oreo
Saya menyukai video mu sahabat,,.....
Waooo ... để quay được cảnh này bạn phải tốn rất nhiều thời gian theo dõi. Cảm ơn bạn !
the smartest gopher lives at bushwood country club, grounds keeper bill murray couldn't kill it!
This is the heron I called Greta. I think that gopher on Caddyshack would be in real trouble if Greta starred in that film. But It might have been more like a Freddy Krueger film.
I am surprised there was very little struggle, did it kill the gopher by stabbing ? Seems very fast
Yeah I agree. This heron was usually very consistent at hitting behind the head. It may be the only time that I saw her strike mid back but it did seem effective and the gopher died quickly. I think she may have hit the heart
@Un señor muy serio yeah you could be right. It was one of the strangest kills I’ve seen.
The world of survival...
Different species but same need to wash down our food with coffee, er, I mean, water
Why he takes to the water 💧?
If the gopher is small the heron doesn’t need water but I think it is easier to swallow big gophers like that one after it is dunked in water.
Yeah, I think if I weighed only six pounds, a good gopher would do it for me.
the strike was brutal
backbone cracked
Everything is fair game in or near the water🤣
it has a killing procedure. Then, going to the lake to take some water because of the dry food.
A real Christian bird, it washes its food, then says Grace "give me this day my daily supply of gopher or any other suitable swallowable lively peace of meat" and then gulps it down.
So the gopher dies just from hanging like that, within one minute ..
I’ve watched it in slow motion a couple days ago and I think she stabbed it pretty hard initially. I agree it’s hard to tell in this video because it’s really fast and I’m not sure
Imagine.....he's gonna have to 💩 that out! 👀
You sure don’t want your car under it when it happens.
@@jimzenor9148 right?
Nice hunting
Atleast he washes off his food
Talk about "heavy on the stomach"
O esquilo se chamava petralhus novededus. A ave se chama Bolsonarus brasiliensis.
I’m guessing that “flavor” is not a big consideration in wild animal meals.
Amazing.
sniper-bird
The heron knew what it was doing with that strike: snapped the gopher's back with one stab. What a precise assassination.
А отчего грызун так быстро затих?
Умер от шока что ли?
It is unusual. I think this bird actually struck deeper in the back than it appeared. It looked like the gopher just died of fright but I think it probably was stabbed in the lung.
this is why you look both ways before you take off..
it is very difficult to eat it , very very near to death ,,,
Interesting 🤔
Wonder if they ever catch one and realize it’s too big. Like a smaller heron nope not gonna get that down the pipe!
I videoed one once about a year ago and it took a half out and several tries. I haven’t seen one too big yet
@@jimzenor9148 - thanks! Most excellent video. Great work.
@@condor5635 oops. That was supposed to say a half hour to swallow. It was so heavy the bird had to rest its head on ground several times. Thanks
The Great Blue Heron locked on 1:30
It's s killer..
Queue the Caddyshack theme.
👍👍👍
wow, that back strike must have broken the spine as goph out in 15 sec
no, heart attack
He seriously dies just by hanging in the air?
Well, that and the giant spear he took in the back.
Bro the Gopher died of shock?!? What hap?!
Good brief struggle.