A sea eagle has snatched a video camera used for recording crocodiles in Australia - and captured some brief footage of the journey both bird and camera embarked on.

The motion sensing camera was set up in a gorge by wildlife rangers in Kimberley, Western Australia to try and capture footage of crocodiles. The cheeky eagle managed to set off the sensor itself, capturing some spectacular angles of its flight.

The video, which has been released online, shows the bird picking up the camera. The majestic bird furiously flaps its wings as it grabs the device and then takes off.

After some dizzying flying shots, the eagle eventually lands, and is then seen pecking the camera lens as it tries to identify what exactly it has just acquired. The rangers pointed out to ABC News that it's lucky it was a young eagle, as an adult would likely have dropped the camera from a much greater height and destroyed it.

The camera was later found over 100 kilometres away in a river, and the rangers were able to retrieve the recorded footage. For their part, the rangers say they'll make sure their cameras are firmly bolted down from now on.

Check out the video below:

Image: JJ Harrison