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.
![A pair of kingfishers were caught on camera battling mid-air over breeding territory. (Caters News)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2F25%2Fbirds-angry-44-464-04-1-4.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
![The pictures show the two brightly colored kingfishers, beaks locked in a ferocious "dogfight." (Caters News)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2F25%2Fbirds-angry-44-44-804-.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
![Jonathon snapped the pictures during the short fight<span style="font-weight: 400;">—</span>which was caused by a battle for breeding territory along the river. (Caters News)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2F25%2Fbirds-angry-44-414-04-.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
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.”
![<span style="font-weight: 400;">"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." (Caters News)</span>](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2F25%2Fbirds-angry-44-46-4-04-.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
![Two male kingfishers lock beaks in a scuffle over the Sixmile Water in Antrim, Northern Ireland. (Caters News)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2F25%2Fbirds-angry-44-444-.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
![Photographer Jonathon Rosborough, 25, from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, took the pictures along a river called Sixmile Water, in Antrim, Northern Ireland. (Caters News)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2F25%2Fbirds-angry-44-44-04-.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
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!”