In an article we found on dailystar, a laundry worker in Scotland, Heather Hughson, claims the bird, which appears to have something against blonde hair and ponytails, has attacked her while walking on a popular footpath.  The bad-tempered buzzard, named Bertie, is said to have attacked Hughson, and left her with some nasty wounds. Speaking of the footpath's birdemic problem, Hughson said: "This buzzard swooped at me from nowhere. The next thing I knew there was a big hit on the back of my head.  

"It was some force. I was pouring blood and had two wounds - one more painful than the other. It was very swollen. I never thought in a month of Sundays I'd be attacked by a buzzard."

As shocking and surprising as the first attack was, Hughson found herself in another violent encounter with the beaked beast the very next day. Hughson has now started to carry a large stick to protect herself from the winged attacker and said: "I was doing my walk with a friend when we met a woman who was having a fit.

Photo: dailystar

"She had a cut on her head and another on her forehead. She was shocked. The buzzard is one of a pair that has a nest at the top.

"It is just defending its nest. I've been told it likes people with blonde hair and who have ponytails. I'm strawberry blonde and had my hair up. The woman who I met who'd been attacked was blonde with a ponytail. "Maybe it is just agitated by the movement of the ponytail."

ALSO READ: Weird Wide Web - Enter Sir Happy Feet

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said that birds can be aggressive while nesting and that they "don't normally go for people - but it can happen". 

While we may not have buzzards in Central South Africa, just in case there are local birds with similar habits, the video below should give some tips on how to handle one should it attack.