In striking images, a screaming squirrel was seen struggling for its life after a heron captured it in its beak.

Decker Nomura, 56, took the stunning rare photographs at the Mission Trails Regional Park in California.

The Great Blue Heron can be seen with its piercing yellow eyes casually holding the gasping rodent in its long yellow bill.

The fluffy brown creature writhed and splayed its clawed feet and hands in the air as the heron kept a firm grip on its prey.

In one image, the entire head of the squirrel can be seen between the colourful beak, and in another, it appeared the squirrel was about to make a lucky escape as it hung off the tip of the bird’s mouth.

Nomura, a postal worker, said: ‘I usually see herons eating fish, this was the first time I’d seen them hunt for a land animal.’

But, according to the photographer, the Great Blue Heron flew away with the squirrel shortly after catching it.

Herons, also known as cranes, are large wading birds commonly found near the shores of open water and in the wetlands over most of North and Central America, as well as far northwestern South America, the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands.

A squirrel was seen struggling for its life from a heron in a rare sighting of the bird hunting a land animal

Decker Nomura took these photos at the Mission Trails Regional Park in California in the USA

The Great Blue Heron flew away with the squirrel shortly after catching it

Great Blue Herons eat a wide variety of prey, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and birds. But they can choke on the larger animals

It appeared the squirrel was about to make a lucky escape as it hung off the tip of the bird’s mouth

They are known to move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. 

Great Blue Herons eat a wide variety of prey, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and birds. They can choke on the larger animals, however.

They are not specialised in their hunting habits, meaning they will prey on whatever is available and within reach. This is known as opportunistic hunting.

It comes after a photographer captured the moment a baby alligator was devoured by a Great Blue Heron in December 2020.

The amazing images posted on Facebook by Danny Gilliam showed the bird eating a large juvenile alligator in Florida’s Lake Apopka. 

‘Great blue herons eat nearly anything within striking distance, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, insects and other birds,’ Florida Fish and Wildlife Centre wrote.

‘This large, wading bird is a familiar sight to most Floridians.

‘It’s a permanent resident of wetlands throughout the state, often seen along ponds, lakes and canals in housing developments.’

The adolescent alligator was apparently too young to survive in the wild.