A family of tiny willie wagtail birds swoop and peck a much bigger laughing kookaburra in Perth, Australia, on December 10.

Bob Humphries, the filmer, explained: "Laughing kookaburras eat a variety of prey, including the eggs and nestlings of other birds, and as a result are often mobbed by them because of the threat they pose.

"This laughing kookaburra was one of a pair on the lookout for food at a riverside restaurant on Freshwater Bay in Mosman Park, a western suburb of Perth. There were four willie wagtails nearby, and they immediately began attacking the kookaburras, who withstood the barrage for a while before flying off."

Laughing Kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae) are large terrestrial kingfishes native to eastern Australia. They were introduced to Western Australia in 1896, and now occur throughout the southwest of the State. Laughing Kookaburras eat a variety of prey, including the eggs and nestlings of other birds, and as a result are often mobbed by them because of the threat they pose. This Laughing Kookaburra was one of a pair on the lookout for food at a riverside restaurant on Freshwater Bay in Perth. There were four Willie Wagtails (Rhipidura leucophrys), small birds in the fantail family nearby, and they immediately began attacking the Kookaburras, who withstood the barrage for a while before flying off.