Epic battle between bald eagle and two seagulls captured by photographer

A mid-air battle between a bald eagle and two seagulls has been captured by a photographer in Alaska.

David Canales was kayaking on Prince William Sound in Alaska during an 11 day expedition from Valdez to Whittier when the clash took place.

While bald eagles normally feed on fish, they will happily eat ducks and birds, or whatever prey is available and easy to get at, like snakes, turtles and rabbits.

In the picture, the eagle is seen with its talons firmly embedded into the seagull below. However, above it another seagull has swooped in and is attacking its back.

Canales described the moment as "epic", adding: "This eagle flew right into a nest of these birds and just carried this guy away like nothing. A new respect for Eagles.

The picture was then shared by the US Department of the Interior, which said the eagle was the clear winner: "The gull above the eagle gave up and the other one wasn't able to free itself."

The image follows another recent case of bird on bird action, after a crow was pictured landing on the back of an eagle before taking off again. See the pictures here.