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Birds · entry 50 of 52
Herons wade slowly through shallow water to catch fish, frogs, and insects.
The longer version
A heron hunts by waiting and by slow stalking, and the strike is a rapid thrust of the neck driven by a kinked spine and powerful muscles, with the bill acting as a spear. Neck vertebrae are shaped so the S-curve can straighten fast, giving reach without moving the body.
Powder down on the breast breaks up fish slime and is combed off with a special fringed claw. Long legs hold the body clear of the water, and long toes spread the weight on soft mud. Herons also stir prey up with their feet and, in a few places, drop bait on the surface to bring fish in.
Where this entry sits
Here you will find feathered trivia about flight, migration, nests, eggs, and the songs birds sing. Expect short surprising facts on penguins, owls, hummingbirds, and other familiar birds from gardens, forests, wetlands, and distant coastlines. The full list sits on the Birds page, where every entry is listed in order.
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Read 5Hummingbirds can hover in one place by beating their wings extremely fast.
Read 6Hummingbirds are among the few birds able to fly backward with ease.
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