Caught on camera: moment two house sparrows clashed during vicious turf war

The two male sparrows exchanged blows with their beaks and claws as one pinned the other to the ground in a violent tussle over territory.

The rarely-seen behaviour was captured on camera by wildlife photographer Tom Hadley who spotted the action unfolding on his garden path.

Tom had been returning to his house in Brockenhurst, Hants, after spending the day taking pictures in the New Forest when he came across the two warring birds.

He whipped out his camera and quietly lay on the concrete path so as not to interrupt the diminutive duo.

The fight lasted several minutes before the weaker sparrow conceded and was chased off by the stronger male, leaving Tom with a sensational series of photos.

House sparrows were once a common sight across the UK but numbers have fallen so rapidly in recent years they are now considered endangered.

Tom said: "I was returning from a long day shooting out in the forest I was walking up my garden path when I noticed an almighty tussle occurring between two small birds just a few feet from the house.

"They were two male house sparrows, of which we have a healthy resident population, clearly deciding this territory wasn't big enough for the both of them.

"Their behaviour was the most violent I've ever seen from garden birds - they were hurling each other back and forth on the ground, using beaks and claws in a frenzy and completely oblivious to my approach and presence just a few feet away.

"The bird on the left of the image started to get the better of his counterpart, forcing him down onto his back.

"The fight continued for several minutes as I lay down on the ground and snapped away.

"Even with one bird prone on the ground, the dominant male continued to drive home attacks with his beak, using his wings to create extra downforce and keep his victim pinned down.

"I'm glad to say that both birds survived the fight and flew away, but don't be fooled into thinking that your small garden birds are always gentle souls - they've got a temper when it comes to territory.

"It's often said that you don't need to venture far from home to photograph interesting wildlife and this story is a case in point."

House sparrows - Passer domesticus in Latin - are among the most common bird species in the world although numbers in the UK have declined rapidly in the last 30 years.

As a result the birds have been placed on the RSPB's endangered list.

They grow to around six inches and feed off seeds and scraps.