Runner From Scotland Left With Six Holes, Painful Claw Marks on Head After Buzzard Attack

On Sunday, a man was out for a run in Friockheim, Angus, but the outing left him injured. A bird of prey attacked him, leaving him with claw marks and six holes in his head.

Buzzard Attacks a Runner

Ewan Cameron, 46, went for a jog and wasn't expecting anything unusual. He recently completed marathons in London and Tokyo and said he had previous run-ins with the same bird. However, he thought that it had already left the area.

While running, he felt a "punch-like blow" behind him. He told Daily Record it wasn't the first time the bird got its sharp talons into him, but he hadn't encountered it in the last six months while running the route three or four times a week.

He told the outlet that he thought the bird had migrated or was already dead, so he was taken aback when it got him. He didn't notice it in the air. However, it flew to him reasonably fast and sunk its talons into the back of his head.

He only came to his senses when he realized the angry buzzard was reaching for another attack. However, he was already prepared and sped up to vacate the area. The bloody attack left him with six holes in his head and claw marks, BBC reported.

It wasn't the first time the bird attacked him, as he already had scars from its previous attacks a couple of years ago. Ewan decided to share the encounter on social media and was surprised that many runners experienced the same.

One woman reportedly shared a photo of her with blood pouring above her eye after the bird attacked her. Ewan said that the route was his option if he wanted to do a long run, but he realized that the bird was nesting, so he had to be careful because it was just defending its territory.

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Are Buzzards Dangerous?

Buzzards are carnivorous birds of prey, according to AZ Animals. Although they look intimidating, they don't usually hurt humans or large animals.

Per Optics Mag, these birds prefer to stay away from humans. They only perform active predation on prey weighing up to 1.5 pounds.

Paul Reynolds, from the New Arc Wildlife Centre in Aberdeenshire, told BBC Drivetime that buzzard attacks are not common. He added that cows injured more people than birds of prey.

Runner's World spoke with RSPB about the buzzard attack, and they were told that buzzards have a strong instinct to protect their young.

They are busy raising a family over the summer, and coming too close to their home will be considered a threat. RSBP said that in most cases, the bird would be contented seeing a runner move away or ignore its nest. However, in rare situations, they may act more aggressively when they feel so distressed. According to them, buzzard attacks are unusual and extremely rare.

Although the chicks are most susceptible in July and August, runners are advised to slightly alter their path if they see a breeding buzzard during their run. Doing so will offer the birds breathing room and the runner a safer route.