Magpie alert: Cyclist dies trying to avoid swooping bird
A cyclist has died after colliding into a fence as he attempted to dodge a swooping magpie.
The 76-year-old was riding on an off-road path near Nicholson Park in Woonona on the New South Wales south coast at 8:15 am on Sunday when the incident occurred.
Witnesses revealed that the man rode his bike off the path in an attempt to dodge the swooping bird.
He then crashed into a fence post and fell to the ground, leaving him with critical head injuries.
The man was then airlifted to St George Hospital in a serious condition after he was treated at the scene. He passed away in hospital on Sunday evening.
The Magpie Alert detection website has six registered attacks on cyclists from Nicholson Park this year, with one attack occurring on Friday last week.
“I cycled on the road to try and avoid it on my way back but the magpie chased me,” one report reads.
“A very determined bird.”
“It is amazing how far it will roam from the nest to chase a chosen victim,” said another.
Magpie swooping season begins in September and runs for close to five weeks.