These buzzards waged a war on the ground as they locked in a vicious grapple over dinner.

The action-packed shots show the birds standing face-to-face as they swooped to fight over a piece of fresh meat on the ground.

Professional photographer Svetoslav Tsvetanov Simeonov spotted the hungry birds circling the eastern Bulgarian city of Varna on their hunt for a tasty treat.

The rare bird enthusiast, from Bulgaria, then caught them coming to blows as they battled for the food.

Mr Simeonov, 35, said: ‘I know the behaviour of buzzards, and I often photograph them in battle. I was happy I caught these two birds, because one was a long-legged buzzard which is typical in Bulgaria.

‘It was a very cold day, and there was a large concentration of birds in the city – I knew they were hungry. I’m so happy I was able to capture these photos, they show the characteristics of Bulgarian buzzards.

‘The supremacy of the long-legged buzzard is seen in these photos – the scene tells the story of the difficult lives of birds, and shows their beauty even when they are aggressive.

‘I love birds and I love to study their behaviour and their habits.

‘Many birds starve in winter, so I always go out and feed them – but I don’t do it too regularly, because the birds could get too comfortable and forget how to hunt for their own food.’