Heron vs Grebe – Death on Lake Santa Fe

While sitting down to breakfast we witnessed this scene of “nature, red in tooth and claw.” A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) had captured a Pied-Billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) and was strangling it to death. The smaller bird would briefly struggle and flap its wings, but the outcome seemed certain. After a few minutes the Heron flew off with its catch. Apparently this is a common hazard for small grebes.