Great Egrets are a pretty common bird in Florida, and I’m pretty much guaranteed to see at least one any time I walk around outside, in virtually any permanent body of water. They spend nearly all their time hunting for food, and they are not picky eaters. I’ve seen them eating everything from Tilapia fish to baby Alligators to Anole Lizards.
A few days ago I happened to get some photos of this fellow hunting in a swampy spot at the Zoo Tampa. I didn’t see the actual catch, but it looks like the unfortunate subject is a youngling Softshell Turtle that the bird likely caught in a nearby pond and carried here to eat in peace. Since the turtle had a shell (though a leathery soft one) and was quite a bit wider than the bird’s beak, the Egret had to do some work in order to get it down. It took quite a bit of tossing and stabbing and pounding. The turtle was already beyond feeling any pain.
NOTE: If you are squeamish about “nature red in tooth and claw”, you may wanna skip the photos …