The final struggles of a gecko as it was caught and eaten by a white-throated kingfisher have been captured on camera by a car mechanic and amateur photographer.
The photos, taken by 49-year-old Eyal Amer, show in stunning detail the gecko looking down the throat of its predator just seconds before it was eaten.
Mr Amer encountered the scene near his home in the small village of Julius, northern Israel.
He witnessed the kingfisher swoop down to the ground and attack the gecko before flying to safety with the insect in its mouth.
The white-throated kingfisher swallowed the poor gecko whole as it perched on a stick
The fan-fingered gecko did not give up without a fight and can be seen here clutching on to the bird’s distinctive reddish-orange bill
Photographer Eyal Amer captured the photos in his hometown of Julius, northern Israel
The bird then perched on a stick and made some cries before swallowing the gecko whole.
White-throated kingfishers, notable for not only their white chest feathers but also their bright blue backs and reddish-orange bills, are found across southern Asia and the Middle East.
They are large kingfishers, around 11 inches in length, and feed on a wide range of prey including small reptiles, amphibians, crabs, small rodents and even other birds.
The bird is thought to be eating a ptyodactylus puiseuxi, better known as an Israeli fan-fingered gecko or a Levante fan-fingered gecko – a species of lizard endemic to the Middle East.
Notable for their bright blue back, white-throated kingfishers prey on reptiles, small rodents and even other birds
Mr Amer said the bird snatched the gecko from the ground before flying to safety and enjoying its meal
Mr Amer said he loves macro photography – close-up photography of small subjects such as bugs and flowers.
He said: ‘My photographs are incredibly varied and I enjoy using many different photography styles.’
The 49-year-old said he used a Nikon DSLR camera with a 400mm lens to capture these photos.
