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What birds can harm humans (1 Viewer)

S

scuba0095

Well-known member
Hello

Other then raptors or birds of the emu family what birds are able to attack a person and cause injury/damage? WHich ones actually will nail you and draw blood if you venture to close to their nests?

most of them just seem to do mock attacks and bluff what which ones are the real deal? :storm:
 
I've heard of people being knocked out for a few moments by a blow to the back of the head whilst wearing a hard hat (!) by an adult owl of some sort in the northern boreal forests, while out ringing chicks.

Sam
 
Colon I bet those were just that rumours I highly doubht they are true since gulls rarely if ever have the guts to actually hit home.
 
I can testify to the fact that gulls can cause considerable pain to the back of the head and I have heard that Gannets can do serious damage: a Gannet bill up the nose is apparently excruciatingly painful. I've never heard of it happening, but it is not too much of a leap of the imagination to envisage one removing an eye.
 
Hello but gulls make up such a huge family of birds what species are the ones that do and will inflict painful injury if you happen to disturb their nest? (I know ring billed gulls wont do much other then scream)

FUnny thing is Ive read gulls attack by hitting you with their feet and not their beak which is strange............
 
wow im suprised I thought herring gulls were one of the more timid species while lesser black backed were more agressive hmmm confusing gulls lol :loveme:
 
vaguely remember a program about the now extict hursts eagle that once preyed on maori settlers when they had devoured their natural prey,the giant
moa.

matt
 
matt green said:
vaguely remember a program about the now extict hursts eagle that once preyed on maori settlers when they had devoured their natural prey,the giant
moa.

matt
Click to expand...

That's bizarre - I was just looking at that on wikipedia as part of another thread...
 
I don't know about the exotic species but I can vouch for Herring gulls attacking people, one hit me on the back of the head when I got too close to a fledgling and it really hurt, I have been a lot more careful since.

Mick
 
luke said:
a few cuts could be possible if you were walking through a tern colony
Click to expand...

Yep, I can vouch for that! Had a couple of pretty good hits several years back on a trip to the Farnes (guided trip, and we stayed on the paths!).

Have also been dive bombed by Lapwings in the Yorkshire Dales, although they did not make contact, have heard that they will if you do not get out of their 'zone'.
 
Got talking to a guy doing a falconary display with a horrendous scar right down one side of his face he hinted that it was caused by one of his birds but i never had the bottle to ask him which one..........................

He had a few different hawks falcons etc.

Take your pick as to which one left him with the scar.
 
My wife was buzzed by some red cardinals when we working in the US.
I've heard that some skuas can be pretty grumpy - apparently aiming for the head.
 
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