18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A flycatcher holdings its prey

This picture shows a flycatcher bird holding its prey. What I find remarkable about the picture is how perfectly normal the fly looks. Others have questioned if this is an optical illusion, perhaps showing a fly in the foreground perfectly framed by the bird's beak, but it is not (in fact, I have other pictures from a moment later with the fly clearly being eaten). The bird is simply holding the fly with utmost delicacy and skill at the moment of capture. I also smile at the thought that this is a flycatcher; it seems like a perfect embodiment of that word!

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2020
Photo Location: Lee, Massachusetts, United States of America
Camera: Canon PowerShot SX70 HS
Copyright: © Adam Hundley