The video was recorded by a tour guide at the Mala Mala Wildlife Sanctuary, South Africa. The image was recorded by Pieter van Wyk early in the morning while leading a group of tourists to visit the reserve.

In the clip, a bird is attacking a tree snake (Dispholidus typus) – one of the most venomous snakes in Africa. The snake kept turning to run away because the bird attacked its head and eyes. The aggressive little bird rushed to blindly peck the snake’s eyes to find the fastest way to defeat the prey and then eat the meat.

It is known that this fearsome “killer” bird is a gray-headed cypress with the scientific name Malaconotus blanchoti. Gray-headed cycads often appear at forest edges, riverside forests, on shrubs and savannah areas.

Gray-headed cycads are medium-sized with a body length ranging from 23-26cm, weight ranging from 65-99g. They have short, rounded wings, a black bill with a curved hook, and bluish-gray legs and feet.

This bird is known for its aggressive attitude, specializing in hunting snakes to eat, even the extremely poisonous cobra can be their victims. The first dusty cypress bird likes to eat the eyes and intestines of its prey.