Herons/pelicans swallowing live prey

[darthkomar]

Sad but that's life

Honestly can't stop wondering what it felt like to the hereon to have a live duckling in it's belly...

[GBBG]

I imagine it feels pretty normal for them, kind of like chewing for us. I have no idea really though.

This is one of my favorite threads on this site now. I've got bad Internet but will post some relevsnt links up here soon when I can go find them

[Jet45]

It can't be as normal as chewing is, but common enough for them, as a lot of there prey is swallowed somewhat alive. Sometimes with mammals they will drown them first to the point where they are dead or exhausted and don't struggle.
I imagine the feeling from inside to be:
Initially frantic struggling which quickly slows to nothing, then the odd muscle spasm, then nothing.
It would be over quite quickly, a lot quicker then many on here (me included) would hope.

You know that feeling when your stomach 'glorps' or churns when hungry. II imagine it's like that kind of feeling, but more intense and for a bit longer.
No scientific data to back up any of the above.
In my mind, once the duckling is no more. The heron sees and hears the word 'duckling was DIGESTED!!! 25xp' across their vision for about 10 seconds.

[Jet45]

Oh... And those people who think this kind of thing in nature is wrong.
No one is saying 'poor heron' when it's ingested alive and whole by it's most feared predator!

[Fallenfox]

An adult rabbit is a very big meal for a Great Blue Heron, but this one manages to work the hefty bunny into its gullet in less than a minute. Wetting the furry prey down with water makes the swallow easier. Pics first, then video. This is rare footage - hope you guys enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdMHtF4nE-Q

[Jet45]

A rabbit is a huge meal. Unfortunately it looks pretty dead. Guess it wouldn't have been possible if not.
I'm disappointed no one took the set-up by asking me what predator can 'ingest a heron alive and whole'?

Airbus A320...

[Fallenfox]

In this amazing video we see a GBH taking on a massive, fat, orange koi. Video and still shots - the orange flesh is invisible and fully engulfed at 1:07. This is very large prey for the heron, but he skillfully uses gravity to assist in feeding, helped along by some desperate wriggling of it's hefty body halfway down his throat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmHz7fDM6Rc

[TheBwurdinator]

Jeez, I'll admit it, these videos were arousing. But I feel terrible for enjoying the sight of an actual animal being eaten and killed, rather than just some animation or artwork. o.o

[jaykayeight]

Jeez, I'll admit it, these videos were arousing. But I feel terrible for enjoying the sight of an actual animal being eaten and killed, rather than just some animation or artwork. o.o

to quote the red hot chilli peppers: "with the birds we share this lonely view" i only feel empathy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzJj5-lubeM

[TheBwurdinator]

Vore-ish schadenfreude

[jaykayeight]

Vore-ish schadenfreude

wait! nah! Schadenfreude bedeutet, dass man sich darüber amüsiert und "i couldnt care less" im Nachhinein sagen würde.
for me vore is all about cherishing life. i bet nobody feels more or is more affected by ducklings or any prey eaten alive than vorarepheliacs.
i dont want anybody or anything alive getting eaten. i would even try to help or to rescue with all what i have. the vore part or the part where you are helpless, you feel
that a situation arises where you cant help out, thats the fetish for me. but doesnt mean i would want or to push the situation. the most powerful vore is the one that you couldnt stop, you didnt see coming.

well, anyhuh

[TheBwurdinator]

Vore-ish schadenfreude

wait! nah! Schadenfreude bedeutet, dass man sich darüber amüsiert und "i couldnt care less" im Nachhinein sagen würde.
for me vore is all about cherishing life. i bet nobody feels more or is more affected by ducklings or any prey eaten alive than vorarepheliacs.
i dont want anybody or anything alive getting eaten. i would even try to help or to rescue with all what i have. the vore part or the part where you are helpless, you feel
that a situation arises where you cant help out, thats the fetish for me. but doesnt mean i would want or to push the situation. the most powerful vore is the one that you couldnt stop, you didnt see coming.

well, anyhuh

Yeah, I can see where you're coming from c:

[Fallenfox]

Here's a nice clear clip of a GBH swallowing a gopher alive. Well, mostly alive... he got speared one or two times pretty bad in the end. They tend to hold them in their beaks and let them wriggle for a while to tire them out before gulping them down. I wish they would let them do some of their wriggling in their necks, but a nice clip anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaQ3SzcY0P0

[Jamjo]

God damn it these are so conflicting >_< Things suffer all the time but I don't ever like to see it, in fact it hurts me to see.. but in these vids it's somehow so hot. I certainly don't judge anyone who likes these but I'm so conflicted here. Fuck.

[Fallenfox]

OK, how about some Egret clips? They're very much like herons, but can't manage quite as large of meals. Very graceful, beautiful birds, and voracious eaters who are quick to gulp down prey alive when given the chance.

First, two very energetic mullet. They both writhe and thrash all the way down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeQFnSDmb-s

Next, a gorgeous clip with close-ups and slow motion of an egret swallowing a fish. Watch the skillful move at 0:47 as the egret in one smooth motion slides its bill out of the impaled fish and catches it in its open maw in preparation for swallowing. Beautiful!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvEgR38dV0M

Last, in this HD video a lovely Reddish Egret dances to some appropriate music before catching and quickly gulping down a decent fish - at the moment of swallow, the tempo of the song picks up... and then it's the prey's turn to dance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCIivTOcicY

[FinWhale]

Wow, that reddish egret. Holy crap that was amazing! All that struggling like the fish was trying to "swim" down the egrets throat! Gorgeous!

[Fallenfox]

I liked that last video's soundtrack so much that I made a short compilation using a few videos posted in this thread. Enjoy!

http://aryion.com/content/herons-swallo ... e-prey-pt1

[Itsuune]

Not quite RL, but there was a childrens' story I read once, about a time when the heron's neck was short. There was a memorable description of the trouble the heron character faced every time he tried to eat eels. They'd squirm around inside and make "his stomach bulge and bounce" and he'd have fits of hiccups, though exactly how a long neck makes that any better is beyond me.

[FinWhale]

I liked that last video's soundtrack so much that I made a short compilation using a few videos posted in this thread. Enjoy!

http://aryion.com/content/herons-swallo ... e-prey-pt1

So, when I try to go to that page I get this. "Access denied
You are not authorized to access this page. "

Oh, btw. I just watched you on FA last night.

[KytanWulf]

Been kinda lurking this thread and thought I'd toss in this lovely find of a pelican. Not very often you get to see a view like this. O.O

http://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/12-p ... -carp.html

*Edit* I could very easily spam this thread with a lot of pelican content. XD If there is substantial interest, I'll be back to do so sometime!