A cyclist died of head injuries after he was attacked by swooping magpie and crashed.
The 76-year-old man collided into a fence post and was flung to the ground after the aggressive bird flew down.
The tragic pensioner was riding the pushbike on an off-road path on Sunday morning, near Wollongong, Australia.
He was dashed to hospital but medics were unable to save him.
It comes weeks after Hills Shire Council, a neighbouring authority in Sydney, shot dead a "particularly aggressive magpie" after it had allegedly injured a number of people.
The magpie was observed to swoop underneath bike helmets and other deterrents to attack people’s faces.
But the decision to kill the animal was met with fierce backlash in the city.
"I am so angry right now that I wont even comment," one resident said.
"What a horror show. Just take another route. Are we going to shoot every native animal that causes inconvenience," another resident added.
The authority, however, stressed the call was necessary.
"Council does not usually take action to remove or destroy magpies – the usual procedure is to signpost known risk areas, as birds are generally only aggressive for four to six weeks per year,” a council spokesperson said.
"Having regard to the number of complaints, number of confirmed injuries and ongoing risk associated with the location, and after having exhausted all practical alternatives to alleviate the risk, council was issued a permit from the National Parks and Wildlife Service to engage a pest controller who humanely euthanised the bird to prevent further serious injuries.
"This course of action was not taken lightly."
