Probing Night Heron

Black crowned Night Heron

 

"A heron can use a Probing

technique by quickly and repeatedly moving its bill into and out of the water or

substrate, in a method more typical of ibises. Probing is a non-visual, tactile foraging

technique. A more common behavior is Pecking. The heron merely picks up an item

from the substrate, often repeating the movement. The substrate may be the ground, a

plant, or surface of the water. A specialized method is Scooping used by the Boat Billed

Heron. By Scooping, the individual walks forward with its bill partially submerged,

thrusting forward and Scooping with each step.

Prey are caught in the bill either by Impale Capture or Grasp Capture. Impaling

means the bill tip goes into or through the prey. This occurs mostly on large and wide

prey, and mostly by herons with bills large enough to withstand the stress of impaling

and landing a larger prey item. Grasping is the more common capture method in which

prey are caught in a tweezers grip."

 

from heronconservation.org

 

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