omg.
to be fair, I’m under the impression that not only are herons physiologically equivalent to a knife on a rope, they also have roughly that level of brain power available.
In Europe and Asia the Grey Heron has adjusted nicely to living peacefully alongside humans and despite their size and beak, they're actually mostly a nuisance if you have a garden pond, as they WILL steal your goldfish.
Oh gosh, have you seem Miyazaki's film The Boy And The Heron? That's a ride.