One of my sons flew his paraglider too close to an eagles aerie. The bird suggested that he might like to move and, while he was trying to get away, hit a down-draft, crashed the drive, chipped his spine, and spent more than a month in hospital. He's OK now and flying again.
A kestrel will peck your eyes out. A buzzard will decapitate you with its rocket speed and torpedo accuracy. A Tucan would hurt like a hammer with that massive beak. A magpie would rip your ear, nose, eyebrow, lip straight off. Seagulls will gang up on you. Pigeons will scare you to death with a random burst of feathery flapping when you get too close. A parrot will talk you to death. And an eagle will pick you up and drop you off the edge of a cliff.
The winner: Pterodactyl. I would rather get killed by the Jeepers Creepers monster.
I actually knew a guy who ended up in hospital following a magpie attack. The bird didn't put him there. He fell off his bike while he was trying to hit it with his pump.
I like 'em. I was out triathlon training one afternoon when I felt a bump on my back and a car load of young guys came past, all of them laughing at me. I thought they'd thrown something. Then another car full of laughing kids. when I looked down at the road I could see the shadow of a magpie flapping over my back. It takes a lot o guts to attack something that much bigger than yoiu.
Mind you, I've lost skin to 'em at times, but I still like them. Admirable birds.
Or big birds with sharp beach. In an episode of Midsomer Murders the final victim was saved by her falcon which clawed out the murderer's eyes. Lovely scene.
Black Birds around my neighborhood are notorious for swooping down and grabbing a claw full of hair as you are walking down the street. once in awhile something drives them crazy with peoples hair. LOL
I've read a few stories where hawks had attacked people and cause some serious injuries with their talons. I would put the eagle and falcon in that same category.
I told a story above about one of my sons being attacked by an eagle when he was parabliding, but two of the others have actually flown with eagles. They love it.
my2cents 