
There are times in life when you're so hungry you could eat anything that's put in front of you.

And as a juicy bat flew into range, that's just what this bird must have thought also.

Unfortunately, on this occasion, the predator literally bit off more than it could chew – or swallow, to be precise.

These stunning photographs capture the moment the European bee-eater – which, as the name suggests, normally feed on insects – tried to take on prey almost a third of its own size.

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Bitten off more than he can chew? A European bee-eater catches a bat in its beak in Israel, a far bigger animal than its usual prey of insects

Open wide: The remarkable photos were taken near the village of Nahala, Israel, by wildlife photographer Shuki Cheled

They were taken near the village of Nahala, Israel, by wildlife photographer Shuki Cheled, who watched in amazement as the bird tried in vain to swallow the bat whole.

Mr Cheled said: 'We were amazed to see that the prey was actually a bat! The bat was alive and flapping at first.

'The bee-eater proceeded to hit the bat against branches until the bat died.'

Quite a mouthful: Mr Cheled was bird-watching when to his amazement he witnessed the bird killing the bat and attempting to swallow it

The bee-eater killed the bat by hitting it against the branch before grappling with it in its beak in an attempt to swallow it whole

He added: 'The bee-eater spent the following minutes trying to swallow the bat, flipping it over and over, without success.

'Eventually it flew off, with the bat still in its beak, so the eventual outcome remains unknown.'

European bee-eaters are known to feed on flying insects and are not known to try attack something as large as a bat.

Jaw breaker: Mr Cheled said the bee-eater spent minutes trying to swallow the bat, flipping it over and over, without success