The idea of someone being killed by a bird may seem impossible to think of because birds are known for being cute and really friendly to humans. But these birds really do exist with their powerful talons and wings strong enough to support heavy prey. In today’s post, I’ll be showing you the most dangerous birds on earth, so you know to steer clear.
European Herring Gull
The European herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a large gull, up to 66 cm (26 in) long. One of the best-known of all gulls along the shores of Western Europe, it was once abundant.[2] It breeds across Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltic states. Some European herring gulls, especially those resident in colder areas, migrate further south in winter, but many are permanent residents, e.g. in Ireland, Britain, Iceland, or on the North Sea shores. They have a varied diet, including fish, crustaceans, as well as some plants, and are also scavengers, consuming carrion and food left by or stolen from humans.
It’s no joke, being attacked by a seagull. Pensioners have been hospitalised, blood gushing from cut heads. Others have been knocked to the ground, breaking bones. Small dogs have bled to death, children’s lips been sliced open, and an elderly man died of a heart attack following a particularly vicious assault in his back garden (3). News that the Royal Mail has temporarily halted deliveries to an otherwise peaceful Cornish cul-de-sac because of the danger should come as no big surprise; it’s happened before.
Great Horned Owl
Owls have a reputation as fearsome hunters and deadly predators. The great horned owl and the barred owl are commonly included in the worlds most dangerous birds. But owls are alternatively depicted as wise, knowledgeable birds or cute, cuddly picture book companions. Which is closest to the truth?
First and foremost, beware of their talons, as they are the most dangerous thing—that and the fact you won’t be looking for one when one is looking to injure you. These owls’ talons are said to exert 500 pounds per square inch of pressure against your skin. Losing an eye is certainly within the realm of possibilities. The strength of the great horned owl’s talons is comparable to that of a golden eagle, or to that of a German shepherd’s bite.
Great horned owls have the most diverse diet of all North American raptors. Their prey range in size from tiny rodents and scorpions to hares, skunks, geese, and raptors. They eat mostly mammals and birds—especially rabbits, hares, mice, and American coots. But they also eat also many other species, including voles, moles, shrews, rats, gophers, chipmunks, squirrels, woodchucks, marmots, prairie dogs, bats, skunks, house cats, porcupines, ducks, loons, mergansers, grebes, rails, owls, hawks, crows, ravens, doves, and starlings. They supplement their diet with reptiles, insects, fish, invertebrates, and sometimes carrion.
Southern Cassowary
The cassowary is usually considered to be the world’s most dangerous bird, at least where humans are concerned, although ostriches and emus can also be dangerous.
Cassowaries are shy and they are usually hard to spot, at least in their natural rain forest habitats. They are not overly aggressive, and attacks are rare. But they can do a lot of damage if they are provoked or angered. Cassowary attacks have occasionally been deadly, including a recent one which occurred in 2019, at a private collection of caged birds in Florida.
It’s not hard to imagine that cassowaries are descended from dinosaur ancestors. The largest cassowaries can stand as high as six feet and weigh up to 160 pounds. These large birds cannot fly, but their extremely powerful legs propel them at great speeds. They are strong swimmers and can move quickly on both land and water. Cassowaries have been clocked running as fast as 31 miles per hour through the rain forest.
Their powerful legs also help them jump high, up to 7 feet straight into the air. Their legs are also used for delivering strong kicks, and they can use their sharp dagger-like claws, up to 4 inches long, to slice and puncture any animal that is a threat, including humans.
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