Selfish bird gets more than she bargains for when she tries to eat a crayfish WHOLE

July 2024 ยท 3 minute read

For some, a trip to the park means feeding the ducks. But this bird wasn't looking for bread as she took on a crayfish and swallowed it whole.  

Amateur photographer Thinh Bui captured the astonishing sequence of events on camera, following the female Hooded Merganser duck as she devoured her prey.   

The Merganser, which is a breed of duck, followed the freshwater crustacean across the lake they shared in the Golden Gate State Park in San Francisco. 

The light brown bird begins following the red crayfish, and it seems to pick up a sense of danger - propelling itself out of the water in an attempt to escape. 

But it is not quick enough, and soon the Hooded Merganser has scooped up the helpless animal in its yellow beak - but not after a splashy fight. It carries it around as it paddles across the water, holding the lobster-like creature by one of its legs as it gears up to devour it.  

Bui, from Fremont California, managed to shoot incredible images of the duck then forcing the crayfish down its gullet. It was, Bui said, swallowed whole in around four minutes - as is relatively customary for the Hooded Merganser. 

The female ducks are identifiable by their cinnamon-coloured crest, while the males are more striking with a black and white pattern. They dive for crustaceans and fish and have also been seen eating frogs. 

Hooded Merganser's are the only Merganser variety which inhabit just North America.   

Amateur photographer Thinh Bui captured an astonishing sequence of events on camera, in which a female Hooded Merganser duck eats  a crayfish whole

Amateur photographer Thinh Bui captured an astonishing sequence of events on camera, in which a female Hooded Merganser duck eats  a crayfish whole

The light brown bird begins following the red crayfish, and it seems to pick up a sense of danger - propelling itself out of the water in an attempt to escape

The light brown bird begins following the red crayfish, and it seems to pick up a sense of danger - propelling itself out of the water in an attempt to escape

The pair clash on the surface of the lake in San Francisco's Golden Gate State Park. The birds eat freshwater crustaceans, fish and frogs

The pair clash on the surface of the lake in San Francisco's Golden Gate State Park. The birds eat freshwater crustaceans, fish and frogs

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Share The female duck carries it around as it paddles across the water, holding the lobster-like creature by one of its legs as it gears up to devour it

The female duck carries it around as it paddles across the water, holding the lobster-like creature by one of its legs as it gears up to devour it

Bui, from Fremont California, managed to shoot incredible images of the duck, which then began forcing the crayfish down its gullet tail first

Bui, from Fremont California, managed to shoot incredible images of the duck, which then began forcing the crayfish down its gullet tail first

The helpless crayfish was, Bui said, swallowed whole in around four minutes - as is relatively customary for the Hooded Merganser

The helpless crayfish was, Bui said, swallowed whole in around four minutes - as is relatively customary for the Hooded Merganser

The delicate armoury of they hard-shelled animal can be seen in the stunning photographs, but its hard casing didn't deter the duck

The delicate armoury of they hard-shelled animal can be seen in the stunning photographs, but its hard casing didn't deter the duck

The duck looked as if she could have underestimated the size of the hard-shelled crustacean, but carried on eating regardless

The duck looked as if she could have underestimated the size of the hard-shelled crustacean, but carried on eating regardless

The cinnamon-crested duck swallowed her prey in around four minutes, the contrasting red and brown making for striking imagery 

The cinnamon-crested duck swallowed her prey in around four minutes, the contrasting red and brown making for striking imagery 

Hooded Merganser's are the only Merganser variety which inhabit just North America. Other Mergansers, like the red-breasted, can be found in the UK 

Hooded Merganser's are the only Merganser variety which inhabit just North America. Other Mergansers, like the red-breasted, can be found in the UK 

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