A video taken from a man’s home security system showed the moment he was attacked by a swooping bird of prey believed to be a Harris’s hawk.
People in the Hertfordshire village of Flamstead said the bird was prone to dive at “tall men”, with “at least a dozen people” being targeted.
“It attacks from behind and you’re surprised, you suddenly get a whack on the head – a number of people get their heads cut,” local Roy Lambden told the BBC.
It was originally thought the hawk could have come from nearby Whipsnade Zoo, but a zoo spokesperson said it was not theirs. “We are aware of a Harris’s hawk in Flamstead, but following inspection from our keepers, we can confirm the bird is not ours,” it said.
