Fight In Flight: Black Eagle Couple Aggressively Drive Their Offspring Away

By Rebecca Lewis @RebeccaSLewis

PARENT eagles fight with their offspring for the ownership of their nest

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The young eagle was born last year and has been learning how to take care of himself

The aggressive black eagle pair teaches their young a valuable lesson as it flies the nest.

The birds somersault through the air as they peck and claw at each other.

Upside down: The birds fly through the air as they attack each other

The black eagle pair fight with the young bird

Wildlife enthusiast Ernest Porter, 23 from South Africa, has been tracking the birds for two years at the Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens.

Kicked out: Young birds are often forced out of their nest to fend for themselves

A chick begins to fight for its life a year after being born, competing and killing its sibling before fledging.

Retreat: This period of aggression is typical of black eagles

As it reaches adulthood the parents violently force them off the nest to fend for themselves.

Hot property: One of the eagles in the nest the birds are fighting over

Ernest said: “The male is called Thulani and the female is Emoyeni, their offspring’s name is Jono.

A black eagle and its fledgling prepare to lock talons in a fight for the nest

“I was very lucky to get the best moments on film including a backflip and the moment Thulani, the male, dragged the juvenile down and they both fell to the ground.

Sharp claws: The feathered creatures viciously fight with each other

“The last day I saw Jono I left early and when I came back the next day I knew that he was gone, I knew he was gone before I saw it.

Sneak attack: The pair somersault through the air

The young bird appears to fall after being viciously attacked by its parent

“I was not disappointed as I spent a lot of time with this juvenile, so I felt that they did a good job and I learned a lot from him.

“They are very aggressive eagles, I think that it's part of their training as they live very vicious lives.

“They have to have a foundation to learn and defend themselves one day as they have to protect their own territories and any eagle can take over their territory and they'll need those skills to protect it.”