Fight to the death in Mosfellsbær

Residents of the peaceful town of Mosfellsbær saw nature red in tooth and claw this morning and managed to capture these images of a merlin dispatching an unsuspecting starling.

The starling fought heroically for several minutes but was no match for the claws of the larger merlin. Using its expectional flight ability, the merlin flies off with the dead starling once the battle is over.

Merlins in Iceland usually nest near urban areas, where they prey on smaller birds.

The Icelandic merlin. Photo: wildbirdgallery.com