An elderly man has died in a bicycle accident after trying to escape a magpie south of Sydney, police said.
Police said in a statement, citing witnesses, that the 76-year-old man was riding his bicycle when the bird hit him early on Sunday, causing him to deviate from the road.
"The man then collided with a fence, causing him to fall to the ground and seriously injuring his head," the statement said.
The man was flown to a critical hospital and later died.
Police in Wollongong, New South Wales´s third largest city, are investigating the incident.
With the onset of spring, Australia is now in the middle of the "magpie season". During this time, the Australian magpie becomes particularly aggressive, with eggs and chicks in the nest, and birds often pounce on humans.
