A two-metre snake attempting to swallow a large tawny frogmouth bird has been captured in a stunning video.
The yellow diamond python hung from the roof of a verandah as it attempted to cram the stocky bird into its mouth.
Nicola Moore, from the NSW mid north coast, was sipping her morning coffee when she looked up and saw the reptile trying to eat breakfast.
‘I got up for a peaceful morning cuppa on the back verandah and noticed a few feathers lying around,’ Ms Moore wrote on Facebook.
‘Looked up and this was a metre from my head! Thank goodness this two-metre long snake had already caught it’s breakfast.
‘The python has snuck up on a sleeping tawny frogmouth and wrapped it’s body around it to strangle it.
‘It then put its whole mouth over the bird’s head, dislocating its jaw in the process.’
The python swallowed more of the bird over several hours and eventually dropped to the lawn as it struggled to swallow the wings.
‘It eventually gave up, and regurgitated the whole bird which is now lying dead on our back lawn,’ Ms Moore said.
Good morning Mr Python! Nicola Moore, from the NSW mid north coast, was sipping her morning coffee when she looked up and saw a python trying to eat breakfast
Tawny Frogmouth’s wingspans range from 65 centimetres to 98 centimetres.
The nocturnal birds are often confused with owls although they are a separate species.
Frogmouths prefer to catch prey with their mouths while owls catch prey with their feet.
They are found throughout the Australian mainland and Tasmania.
Tawny frogmouths are nocturnal birds that are found throughout the Australian mainland and Tasmania. They are often confused with owls but are a separate species (stock image)
Diamond pythons are non-venomous snakes that grow to two metres on average but can grow up to four metres.
The ambush predator mainly feasts on small birds, possums, fruit bats and rodents.
They live in Indonesia and throughout Australia often near human settlements where eating rodents becomes a useful task.