A pair of feisty birds repeatedly divebombed a snake to defend their nearby nest.

Carmen Rishworth-Barnard was in Kruger National Park, South Africa, when she spotted two Burchell’s coucals flapping in a tree about 10 metres away from them.

Fascinating footage shows one of the cuckoos take aim at a nearby predator lurking on one of the branches nearby.

Despite having to avoid the snake’s jaws the bird returned again to fly straight at the threat while another watched closely nearby.

Carmen, from Cape Town, South Africa, said: “The birds were deliberately attacking the snake, protecting a nearby nest. They were flying in and out and generally restless.

“We couldn’t see a nest this was during their nesting period and it was a pair of birds working together, rather than just one.

“To capture it was an awesome. Seeing birds flying in and out a tree usually means something is happening but spotting the snake was incredible as it was one of our first sightings ever in the wild.

“Our kids have grown up on the road for the holidays and we do a national Park every year at least, having aimed to see everyone in the country.

“We have found that more difficult as we have become addicts to certain parks, namely Kruger and Kgalagadi now the others can wait a little.”