These kingfishers look like two very angry birds—the pair were caught on camera battling it out mid-air over breeding territory.
Photographer Jonathon Rosborough, 25, from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, took the pictures along a river called Sixmile Water, in Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The pictures show two brightly colored kingfishers wresting for domination over one another in a ferocious fight.
Jonathon, who also works as a microbiologist, snapped the pictures during the short fight—which was caused by a battle for breeding territory along the river.
“I was taking my six-month-old daughter out for a walk in the pram when I spotted the two birds; I always take my camera with me everywhere I go in case I spot something special,” Jonathon explained.
The battle between the two male kingfishers lasted no more than 10 seconds, he said. "At first, I thought I was watching a pair on the far river bank when all of a sudden they flew towards each other and locked bills in mid-air.
“They plummeted into the water of the river below and continued scrapping; tumbling into the water a few more times before the bird on the right claimed victory and chased his rival off upstream.”
Neither bird appeared to be badly hurt, he added. "I knew they were territorial but I didn’t realise they fought like this until I witnessed it for myself.
“I couldn’t believe it at first; luckily I had my camera on hand to document the action.
“After speaking to some other fellow wildlife photographers when I got home, they told me they had never witnessed anything like this before either!”
