Herons

[walshie 2,804]

Not really a fishing question, but I'm sure some of you fishermen could answer.

 

What size fish is a Grey Heron capable of taking from a water?

 

Cheers.

[Daniel cain 45,919]

They will clear a garden pond lol.atb dc

[BEARINATOR 2,872]

8 - 10lb koi have been taken by herons

[Rabid 1,936]

It's not so much what they are capable of taking from the water, they wil spear and kill fish much bigger than they are capable of lifting out and eating, I Saw a carp, it would have been touching 20lb, speared twice in its side, floating dead, the lake had problems with herons, but now I think the biggest problem is the cormorants.

[tomburras 2,730]

I wouldent know but saw a heron take an eel from the U R E in ripon last month and looked half a pound. It looked like it backed away from the water and tackled it again on land.

[stealthy1 3,964]

Don't know, but I've seen them gag on some big eels.

[mattyg 1,862]

Herons will also take rats given the chance but never seen em take anything much over a couple of pound. Think big pond fish may die of stress more than actual predation....bearing I mind I have no pond!

Matt

[ryaldinhio 4,712]

It's not so much what they are capable of taking from the water, they wil spear and kill fish much bigger than they are capable of lifting out and eating, I Saw a carp, it would have been touching 20lb, speared twice in its side, floating dead, the lake had problems with herons, but now I think the biggest problem is the cormorants.

this is the only correct response walshie.

 

they can spear and kill fish without 'taking' it and that can be a biiiig fish to.

[leegreen 2,182]

Anything bigger than a pound, a Heron would have problems with. They will take fish a bit bigger but have trouble necking them, they tend to pick at them from the gills inward.

For a heron to spear a fish in the side, it must have been on it's side in the first place. Plus a Heron only weighs between 2 and 4lb. So the 20lb Carp thing is a bit of a stretch, unless the fish was sick.

Also a Heron can only fish as deep as it can wade.

I have resident Herons here and the pose no problem to me and I like seeing them.

[neil cooney 10,416]

Never ever under estimate our Heron.

I'm not sure what's the biggest fish they'll take but I do know of one heron that was shot (I'm aware that they are protected in Ireland) because it was taking ducklings off a pond and when opened up there was 16 six week old ducklings in it.

I wouldn't have believed it only I seen the photos and before anyone calls me a liar the same photos were shown to several lads.

I see Herons daily and there can be a massive size difference between a small Grey Heron and a big Grey Heron. I wouldn't be surprised if they grow for most of their lives.

Grey Crows seem to be the same.

[ryaldinhio 4,712]

Anything bigger than a pound, a Heron would have problems with. They will take fish a bit bigger but have trouble necking them, they tend to pick at them from the gills inward.

For a heron to spear a fish in the side, it must have been on it's side in the first place. Plus a Heron only weighs between 2 and 4lb. So the 20lb Carp thing is a bit of a stretch, unless the fish was sick.

Also a Heron can only fish as deep as it can wade.

I have resident Herons here and the pose no problem to me and I like seeing them.

I used to holiday at a place called lonsdale near carlisle. they had a boat in the middle of one of the ponds with an aerator on it. There was a heron that used to stand on the boat in the middle of the pond and dive in after fish. I think I have a recording of it somewhere. The day I saw that was the day I stopped thinking they had to wade.

[BEARINATOR 2,872]

Shows some of the sizes of stuff they take as food

[NEWKID 27,278]

Saw one on a small pond trying to get a carp down that must of been 5-6lb, carp was going mad and the heron was struggling with it, dropped it I the end.

Also saw a cormarant trying to get a big flounder down its neck, struggled like f**k but got it down In the end