Birds are dinosaurs. Predatory dinosaurs — or the direct descendants of them anyway.
Want more evidence? You could read what the Museum of Natural History has to say, or you could watch this blue heron hunt and devour a gopher whole.
This particular bird had been wandering around neighborhood backyards for a few days, and Jessie Garza, curious about what it was doing, was shooting video of the creature when he captured this moment.
The bird seemed to be stalking something, moving towards a particular spot in the lawn with a menacing, predatory aspect.
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It wasn't long before Garza got a chance to see what the heron was hunting — a gopher.
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The bird let the creature wear itself out for a while before taking the next step.
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Swallowing the gopher whole.
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And even though it looks like the bird had some trouble getting the gopher down its gullet, a quick shake of the head finishes the job.
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Herons frequently hunt small mammals along with fish, frogs, reptiles, and other birds, according to the New York City Parks Department. But as Garza and the folks at Discover, where we first saw the video, note, we had no idea how terrifying it could look.
Watch the video and listen for Garza's reaction:
SEE ALSO: Watch A Terrifying Giant Fish Swallow A Shark Whole
