18th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
A Hoopoe bird regurgitating the dung beetle that was too hard to swallow

Here, a hoopoe bird is seen coughing out the dung-beetle that turned out to be too stout to be swallowed whole. Despite being partially chewed, the insect managed to struggle inside the food pipe and the bird had no choice except to cough it out temporarily. The beetle’s broken piece of leg and semi-chewed wing are visible in the shot.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 04.2019
Date Uploaded: 09.2020
Photo Location: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Camera: NIKON D5500
Copyright: © Chandana Roy