OK, we've established that chickens pant in the heat. But do wild birds do this too?
I guess so.
Or maybe he was just hoping that a fish would hop right on in.
We've gone for the "natural look" around the ponds this year, can you tell?
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias).
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Edited to add:
Leave it to Swamp Things to know that this behavior has a name: Gular fluttering! I looked it up, and it's not exactly the same as panting: the bird is rapidly vibrating the floor of its mouth and upper area of its throat. According to what I read, this does not require as much energy as panting, and is exclusive to birds.
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