bald eagle chases down

Amazing moment bald eagle chases down and catches a starling in mid-air

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 1:04 AM on 16th March 2010
This tiny starling didn't stand a chance after a hungry bald eagle chose it as a mid-air snack.
This incredible sequence of pictures shows the enormous bird of prey closing in on its target.
The defenceless starling flies on, apparently unaware of the eagle behind it.

Too late: The tiny starling is dwarfed by the massive bird of prey as it lifts its talons to grab its meal

But within seconds the eagle is so close its beak almost grazes the tail of the tiny bird.
In one swift moment, the hunter's razor-sharp claws have closed around its prey.
Photographer Rob Palmer captured these incredible pictures in Colorado, U.S.
The 56-year-old, from Littleton, said: 'I noticed a group of eagles sitting in the trees and then I spotted they were catching the starlings and blackbirds.
'It went on for a number of days. The starlings would launch out of the yard and into the air as one.

Zeroing in: The bald eagle spots its target as it flies through the air and begins to close the distance

Razor sharp: The starling seems to be completely unaware it is on the lunch menu as the bald eagle makes it attack at high speed

'Two or three eagles would then start to pursue. It seemed as if the starlings had been hypnotised because they acted as if they were not being chased.
'Over ten days I saw at least 50 starlings getting caught and eaten by various eagles. It would happen anywhere from 100 to 500ft in the air.
'It was an awesome and inspiring thing to witness.
'As a photographer, you only dream of seeing wild instances like this and I took advantage of the situation. I have not witnessed anything like this since then.'

Defenceless: The oblivious starling is grabbed in mid-air as the bald eagle swoops on its prey

The bald eagle, native to North America, can grow up to 3ft long and has a wingspan of 8ft.
The bird of prey eats mostly fish, but is known to be an opportunistic feeder - eating anything from small mammals like rabbits to larger prey like the Great Blue Heron.
Its talons are so powerful it has even been known to carry off deer fawns weighing around 15 pounds.
Bald eagles can reach speeds of up to 43 miles per hour and are able to dive for fish at an incredible 99 miles per hour.

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