A dust devil ripped through a dry patch of land near train tracks in Colorado.

Footage shows the brown weather phenomenon whirling along the open field about 50ft away from the railroad on April 13.

A chicken cage with some free-ranging birds were feeding on the grass nearby while it devastated the area.

Resident Savannah Knutsen said: ‘The land was so vast, the dust devil wouldn't win out here. It would be gone before it could hit something alive.'

The dust devil disappeared into a smoke-like plume after about two minutes. No one was hurt or damaged.

Dust devil tornadoes are types of whirlwinds that form when the sun heats a patch of land and the air above becomes warmer and rises quickly.

Cooler air then moves into the low-pressure gap left by the rising warm air. The new drafts of cooler air also heat up and rise and the cycle continues, picking up dust and debris and making the spiral visible.

They are not as dangerous as supercell tornadoes, which can cause severe damage.