Hawk terror: Bird dive-bombs tall men in quiet village

12 March 2025 , 07:46

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Rufus the Harris’s Hawk, used to keep pigeons away from the courts on day fourteen of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London. Picture date: Sunday July 14, 2024. Picture: Alamy

A Harris hawk has been accused of terrorizing a Home Counties village after the animal was seen dive-bombing tall, middle-aged men.

The animal, which has taken up the pursuit in the sleepy village of Flamstead, Hertfordshire, is said to be targeting men between the ages of 40 and 60-years-old.

Around 20 people have been attacked in the past fortnight according to locals, with the animal circling and swooping on unsuspecting villagers.

Sightings of the bird have been reported by those living in the village for several months, with the animal seen to attempt an estimated 40 “divebombs” on men after what locals described as a sudden “change in behaviour”.

The bird of prey remains a long way from home, with the hawk usually found 5,000 miles away from the tropical climes of South America - notably in Brazil, Argentina and Chile, where it is typically found.

Village Store, Flamstead, Hertfordshire. Picture: Alamy

However, in some circumstances, the bird is also kept privately in the UK, with the trained hawks used to remove pigeons from Trafalgar Square and birds from the Wimbledon tennis championships.

According to The Telegraph, neighbourhood police patrols in the area told concerned villagers that their sergeant had confirmed reports are all from “tall men around the ages of 40 and 60”.

Local resident Roy Lambden, 68, said: “I was walking and just felt a whack that pushed my head down. I touched it and saw there was blood.

“It was only from the corner of my eye that I realised it was a bird because I saw it fly away.

“I was one of the first to be hit by it. Since then, around 20 people I know have been attacked," he continued.

"Lots of bleeding heads — my friend who is bald has got two scars from it.”

Remarkably, Lambden capture the moment the attack took place on CCTV, which showed the bird targeting him directly outside the house.

The officers confirmed that professionals and local falconers had been brought in to try and trap the animal humanely.

However, attempts have so far proved unsuccessful.

Whipsnade Zoo has since advised residents to contact “the RSPB or British Bird Council for advice at this stage, and our birdkeepers will be on standby to help if they need us”.

Henry Morgan