Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
The Vole exchange

Every year the White-tailed Kites would spawn 2 to 3 chicks in the spring As the chicks grew and fledged, they still needed to be fed This is the moment the parents caught Voles or other rodents to feed their youngs While the main purpose was to feed the youngsters, the parents also wanted to train them to catch food in mid air On this day, 2 chicks came up to intercept the father with a vole, but only one got the benefit Somehow, the parents know to give the prey to the next chick on the next round, an amazing feat of nature

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Mountain View CA, California, United States of America
Camera: ILCE-9
Copyright: © don vu