Video: Bird Baits Fish with Bread

In the bird world, green herons are the masters of tool use. Many birds are experts at catching fish, but only a few employ the humanlike tactics of the green heron. These small birds are among the handful of animals capable of using tools. Taking a piece of bread, insects, or even its own feathers, the green heron will patiently bait small fish into nearing shore. Green herons will even frequent popular bird feeding locations to find their bait.

The behavior is remarkable because the bird forsakes a more immediate food source—the bread and insects—for a larger payoff in the form of fresh fish.

You can watch a video of one green heron at work below:

Another video of a green heron with an insect for a lure:

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