This is the moment that an enormous bird of prey launched itself from a roof onto a birdwatcher's head.
The
rogue European eagle owl has been terrorising the Dutch town of
Noordeinde for months and is believed to be behind a spate of vicious
attacks.
Locals
have been advised to arm themselves with umbrellas against the bird, as
hoards of twitchers have flocked to the Netherlands hoping to catch a
sighting of the impressive bird.
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The enormous bird of prey targeted the blonde-haired woman after launching itself from the roof of a nearby house
Bird brain:
The European eagle owl spent around one minute perched on the woman's
head, before flying off looking for its next perch.
In the most recent incident, the bird was caught on camera showing off its wingspan as it soared from the roof of a house.
A woman, who had been observing the creature, barely had time to pull her hood up before the eagle-owl swooped on her head.
The
wild owl, which weighs around 6lbs, spent around one minute perched her
the head, before flying off looking for its next perch.
Residents in the town think that it might have escaped from an aviary and has learnt to associate humans with food.
'I
have seen photographers and birders from around the country, from The
Hague to Spijkenisse, they come from everywhere to see the eagle owl.
Our village is finally on the map,' one local is reported to have said.
Menno
Shaefer is one of a number of photographers who has paid a visit to
the town after hearing about the owl's unusual behaviour.
The
48-year-old, of Zaandam, Netherlands, said: 'I had heard a lot about
the owl and decided to visit the site to see it in action for myself.
'It was a very funny thing to watch, however I'm just as confused as anyone as to why it does this.'
The rogue owl has been terrorising the
Dutch town of Noordeinde for months and is believed to be behind a
spate of vicious attacks
The appearance has seen twitchers flock to the town hoping to catch a sighting of the bird
The European eagle-owl is one of the largest species of owls, and females can grow to a maximum total wingspan of 75cm
The
wild owl, which weighs around 6lbs, spends an average of one minute
perched on the head of innocent bystanders, before flying off looking
for the next perch.
The European eagle owl is one of the largest species of owl, and females can grow to a maximum total wingspan of 75 cm.
The
bird is found in a number of habitats but mostly lives in mountain
regions, coniferous forests, steppes and other relatively remote
places.
Unusual: Photographer Menno Scheefer
travelled 68km to the northern Netherlands town of Noordeinde to
photograph the own, after hearing about its strange behaviour
Perched: The European eagle owl enjoys swooping on unsuspecting walkers - and standing on their heads
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