Sally Lightfoot crab and Striated Heron - Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador
Grapsus grapsus & Butroides striata
Sally Lightfoot crab and Striated heron on the lava rocks at Las Bachas, Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos, Ecuador.
The Sally Lightfoots were everywhere, literally in the tens of thousands, and I cannot remember a single landing where we did not see them in Galapagos. The striated Herons were also numerous. A similar bird that is mostly gray/brown on the back, previously called the Lava Heron, was also numerous. Today, these two species are both called the "Striated" Heron and it is closely related to the Green Heron we have in CA.
At this location, the crab was not considered food by the heron and it was quite interesting to see the two close to each other. Eventually the crab scampered away and the heron went about looking for its food (fish I think).
