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Male and female birds exchange prey mid-air, incredible sight caught in a series of pics

Wildlife photographer Patrick Coughlin identified the creatures as a male and female Northern Harrier and mentioned that the “exchanging prey is for possible nestlings.”

Updated on: May 19, 2020, 17:14:02 IST
Hindustan Times, New Delhi | By
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A series of images of two birds captured by wildlife photographer Patrick Coughlin is Twitter’s new favourite content and may end up being yours too. The series shows two birds exchanging prey mid-air.

The series shows two birds exchanging a prey mid-air. (Twitter/@myrgard)
The series shows two birds exchanging a prey mid-air. (Twitter/@myrgard)

Coughlin identified the creatures as a male and female Northern Harrier and mentioned that the “exchanging prey is for possible nestlings.”

Though a small series containing only three images, they have now prompted reactions of amazement from many.

Take a look at the series and it may leave you mesmerised

Here’s the image where the first bird drops the prey:

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The second image shows the other bird, with its claws extended outwards, positioning itself to capture the food:

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The third one documents the success of exchange:

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“I like that you can see the slit shift in the bottom birds vision where they go full binocular in comparison to the more restful more side laying eye of the bird on top not needing to focus,” wrote a Twitter user. “This is called contactless delivery,” joked another. “Little game of “pass the prey”? questioned a third. “Whoah!!! Terrific captures!!!” praised a fourth.

“This is easily the best set of pictures in recent tweeting history (which though small cannot take away the skill of the photographer and the photographed),” mentioned another user of the micro-blogging site.

What do you think of the series?

  • Trisha Sengupta
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Trisha Sengupta

    Trisha Sengupta works as Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over six years of experience in the digital newsroom. Known for her ability to decode the internet’s most talked-about moments, she specialises in high-engagement storytelling that bridges the gap between viral trends and traditional journalism. Throughout her tenure, Trisha has focused on the intersection of technology, finance, and human emotion. She frequently covers personal finance and real estate struggles in hubs like Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, while also documenting the unique challenges of the NRI experience. Her work often highlights the movements and philosophies of global newsmakers and personalities like Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Nikhil Kamath, Dubai crown prince, and MrBeast. From reporting on Amazon or Meta layoffs and startup culture to the emergence of AI-driven platforms like Grok and xAI, she provides a grounded and empathetic perspective on the stories shaping our world. When not decoding the internet, Trisha is likely offline: lost in a book, exploring a historical ruin, or navigating the world as a solo traveler. She balances her fast-paced career with family time and a healthy dose of curiosity, currently trading her "human" sources for silicon ones as she masters AI to future-proof her storytelling.Read More

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