Heron using bread as bait (for luring a fish)!!! (1 Viewer)

[Cristian Mihai]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBuPiC3ArL8

 

[Cristian Mihai]

Amazing, isn't it? Please help with an ID for this heron.

 

[Dom F]

I think its a Striated Heron - also called Green Heron I think.
There was a thread on the Northern Territory yahoo group about one in Darwin doing this.

 

[Jane Turner]

Its funny, I've seen a Striated Heron doing this in Singapore.. and yes its a Striated Heron

 

[Simon Wates]

Incredible behaviour! It should go on the Behaviour forum - well its a must really!

 

[delia todd]

That is just soooo clever. I'm so glad his persistence paid of in the end.

I agree with Simon, so I'll move the thread to the Behaviour forum.

Thanks for posting this Cristian.

 

[keith]

Really impressive, I've passed it on to a lot of my friends.

 

[kawwauser]

stunning behaviour vid,the best i have seen,there are others on the web not so good visualy but the behavior is the same,all herons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBocxqHTAKY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNTw7GH325U&feature=related

 

[asburd]

On two different occasions this summer I saw a green heron catch an insect and then use it as bait to catch a fish. It was really incredible to watch. I have never seen any similar behavior from Great Blue Herons, and I see them much more often, so it seems like maybe this behavior is unique to butorides.

 

[paulptct]

Absolutly amazing
Paul

 

[Andrew]

Excellent, there was a similar one shown on You Have Been Framed previously so it might be more common than we think. Notice it didn't let the bread stray too far out of reach.

 

[James]

Seen this in India!

James

 

[chris butterworth]

It's a common thing for Green / Striated Heron to use bait to lure fish. I saw one at Sepilok Laut try it with Mangrove leaves + when small fish sheltered under it - bang. It used the same leaf half a dozen times + caught a fish each time. There are cases of other species of small Heron doing it as well.

Chris

 

[Jaff]

Here's an ID challenge. Can anyone ID the bird on the right of screen at the end of the clip? :king:

 

[Simon Wates]

Greater Sandplover?

 

[fugl]

On two different occasions this summer I saw a green heron catch an insect and then use it as bait to catch a fish. It was really incredible to watch. I have never seen any similar behavior from Great Blue Herons, and I see them much more often, so it seems like maybe this behavior is unique to butorides.

I saw the same in Reno a few years ago. The bait was a large green grasshopper about two inches long which the Green Heron captured in the vegetation near where it was standing on the edge of a small pond. Before dropping it in the water for the first time the heron pulled the legs off, presumably to immobilize it. Green Herons are quite uncommon in Reno and I've always felt it was a very lucky thing to have seen.

 

[kennethwfd]

just goes to show "birdbrain" is really a compliment - animal intelligence never ceases to amaze me, maybe because we assume animals being lower on the evolutionary totem pole are inferior in intelligence.

 

[birdmeister]

That is a Green/Striated Heron,and I have heard of them doing that. Great video!