The UCI Road World Championships had been warned in advance of the threat of diving attacking magpies, but it was not an empty warning.

Bauke Mollema of the Netherlands became the latest rider to be attacked by a bird when she released video of being hit in the head while training in Wollongong, Australia.

Remco Evenpole (Belgium) said he was followed and "terrified" by a magpie before a weekend time trial, while Grace Brown (Australia) and Elinor Backstedt (UK) also reported their encounters.

On Tuesday, Morema revealed that she was the latest victim and provided video evidence showing the magpie swooping down behind her and crashing into her head.

In Australia, magpies are a threat to cyclists, and spring is known as "swooping season." The large birds, trying to protect their newborn young, perceive cyclists and sometimes pedestrians as a threat and try to keep them away from their territory.

The birds typically swoop down and make contact with their talons and beaks. They often strike the back of the rider's helmet, but have also been known to approach from the side and spill blood.

In extreme cases, the consequences can be severe and even fatal: in 2019, a man died after crashing his motorcycle as a result of a magpie swoop in Wollongong.

"Magpies are quite territorial and a lot can happen in their particular area," local veterinarian Paul Partland recently warned on Wave FM (opens in new tab).

"Swooping birds tend to target people who are alone or moving very fast. Unfortunately, I don't think the birds will slow down a racing cyclist to take a little breather off to the side as they swoop down."

Magpie Alert, a website dedicated to documenting magpie attacks, has recorded over 1,500 attacks this year alone.