Buzzard attacks cycling pair

Cyclists in the Dordogne have being advised to wear helmets after a buzzard attacked a father and son as they cycled along a country road near Périgueux.

The bird – which has a wingspan of about a metre – flew directly at the pair who were lucky to escape without injury. Jean-Christophe Massoubre said there were scratches on his crash helmet after the attack.

He told journalists: “It flew out of the woods and right down on us.”

Local hunting and wildlife expert Aurèlien Viau said: “When birds have young in the nest they can become very aggressive but nonetheless to attack humans is exceptional.” Wildlife workers are monitoring the bird.