New York State of Mind: Great Blue Heron Eats Rat in Central Park

A great blue heron was captured devouring a rat in New York City’s Central Park, scarfing down the dripping wet rodent in a weird tableau encapsulating the park’s beauty and grittiness.

This slow motion video taken by Twitter user @BirdCentralPark, who said it was filmed on September 5, shows the heron gulping the rat down.

Great blue herons’ diets consist of mostly fish, but also include frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, insects, rodents, and birds, according to the National Audubon Society. Credit: @BirdCentralPark via Storyful