A CYCLIST died in Australia on Sunday after being startled by a swooping magpie, a native Australian bird that gets aggressive in the spring around breeding season.

The 76-year-old man was riding his bike in Nicholson Park in Wollongong, south of Sydney, when he veered off the path to avoid a swooping magpie, according to local police.

He then crashed into a fence post, was thrown to the ground, and suffered serious head injuries. The man was airlifted to Sydney’s St. George Hospital and died that evening, police said.

Magpie swooping season occurs each year across the country in September and October, during Australia’s springtime. This year, the season started early after a warm winter.

So far this year, there have been 1,570 swoopings nationwide, resulting in 189 injuries, according to the community-run Magpie Alert website. The number will likely go up — last season, there were more than 3,000 reported swoopings.

(SD-Agencies)