Cyclist dive-bombed by hawk on California road



May 21 (UPI) -- A California cyclist captured video of his close encounter with a hawk that dive-bombed at his head while he was riding.

Kevin Mahan, chief photographer for KSEE-TV/KGPE-TV, said he was riding near Temperance Avenue and Highway 180 in Clovis when he noticed some birds overhead.

"As I'm going, I notice there's a few birds in the air, and I don't think much of it, I just put my head down and keep pedaling," Mahan told the station. "All of a sudden, I hear a 'tic tic.'"

Mahan's helmet camera captured the hawk coming within inches of him, appearing to try to grab the camera from the top of his head.

"I didn't realize how big and sharp those were until I did the screengrab," Mahan said. "I was like, 'Holy cow, that could have been a lot worse than it was.'"

Mahan described the incident as a "hawkward encounter" in a YouTube post.

Mahan said members of local cycling groups on social media told him they had encountered the same bird in the same area. He said one friend reported being dive-bombed by the hawk four times.