Hornbills in Singapore attract a lot of attention when they make an appearance near people as these big birds with their humungous beaks look fascinating and majestic.

As omnivorous creatures, hornbills attract even more attention when they feast on meat, especially smaller birds.

And that was what Richard Lee, a photographer, captured.

He shared his photos of a group of eight hornbills to Facebook group Nature Society (Singapore) on July 2, which serve as a reminder that hornbills in the wild do hunt for smaller birds that are not other people's pets.

According to Lee, the flock perched on a landed property in Old Holland Road.

He identified the birds as Oriental Pied Hornbills.

A bird in the beak

But what stood out was one particular hornbill that appeared to have another bird in its beak.

Commenters speculated what kind of bird it was, with guesses ranging from a bittern to a starling.

Hornbills have been noted for their tendency to prey on other local birds, sometimes in dramatic fashion.

All part of the circle of life.

You can see the post here.

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Top image by Richard Lee via Nature Society (Singapore).