The Black-crowned Night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) is an opportunistic feeder taking a variety of foods like fish, frogs, snakes, lizards, rodents, etc.
Like most herons, the Black-crowned Night-heron often catches large prey, especially fish, as in this case. As it swallows its prey whole, it will have to spend much time dealing with it before finally swallowing it.
Non-digested parts like bones, scales, etc. are subsequently expelled in the form of pellets. Thus when encountering a heron with prey, it would be rewarding to spend time monitoring it after it feeds to catch it casting pellets – see HERE and HERE.
MeiLin Khoo
Singapore
30th August 2018
This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behaviour through photography and videography to a wider audience.
