Pictured: Three bald eagles lock talons as they plunge to the ground in mid-air battle



Locked in desperate mid-air battle, the three eagles plunge towards the ground in a contest to see who will let go last.

Between their claws lies a gasping fish freshly plucked from an Alaskan lake, now the target of fearsome talons as each eagle grapples for supper.

This is not so much a desperate bid for food - instead it's a macho show of strength between three birds who want to show who's who in the pecking order.



The three hungry bald eagles lock talons in a vicious mid-air battle for a fish supper

The eagles remain locked together in a three-way show of dominance

As they reach the end of their dive, one eagle breaks off, leaving the remaining two holding 'hands'

Amateur wildlife photographer Harry Eggens said the fight was over in a matter of seconds and all three escaped unscathed.

He said: 'One of the eagles was able to pick up a small fish - but there were between 150 and 300 other eagles around and it can end in a fight.

'It wasn't that the other two couldn't get their own fish but I think, as males, they wanted to show off and prove who was the strongest and smartest.

'It always is an impressive sight to see these majestic birds fight in mid air with their talons hooked.

'This happens like you can see in a fight over fish and also in courtship - they hook their talons for a couple of seconds and stop flying while they let themselves fall down close to the ground before they unhook the claws.

'In this case I did see the whole thing happen and the birds came off unscathed.

'I was lucky to witness it because usually there are just two and not three eagles involved in a fight like this.'

Mr Eggens captured the impressive scene at the 'Homer Spit' in Alaska, America.

The 56 year old, from Groningen, in the Netherlands, was there to photograph the scores of eagles, which, until recently, visited the spot every year to be fed by eagle enthusiast Jean Keene - also known as the 'Eagle Lady.'

Mr Eggens said: 'Jean fed the birds every winter. But sadly she passed away in January this year and there will be no more visits.'

Factfile: The national bird of America

