welcome to watch mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 dangerous birds a springtime stalker swoops and mac sherwood scooter ride really gets going for this list we're looking at the birds we most wouldn't want to run a foul of have you ever encountered these birds let us know in the comments number 10. emu emus are some of the most interesting looking birds around with their uniquely shaped massive bodies look at the size of that bird i go henry the eighth on those drumsticks but you have to be careful around them
or they'll soon get on the defensive as the second largest bird the common emu is strong and fast emus don't fly but they can run really fast they can run as much as 30 miles an hour and have massive feet with toe claws perfect for kicking predators away while it's very unlikely for a human to die by an emu's claws these birds mainly found in australia can definitely cause some pain as you'll learn with many birds on this list the best way to admire an emu is from a distance number 9. red-shouldered hawk many animals
are protective of their nests but red-shouldered hawks take it to an extreme level these north american birds think nothing of attacking humans who they believe are a threat to their nest watch as they swoop down giving wildlife rescuer justin matthews a warning tap right on the head he's getting too close their population has grown in recent years which includes more of them nesting in residential suburban areas reports of red-shouldered hawk attacks in fairfield connecticut make it sound like a milder version of the town from the birds if you're in fairfield and don't want to deal
with a sudden hawk dive bomb attack be careful where you're walking or consider staying inside if you have to don't go out there i'll be back i just want to look number eight australian magpie what is it with australia and frightening animals and remember he's more afraid of you than you are of him that doesn't help no i was talking to the bird the australian magpie certainly doesn't look like much at first glance but if they don't like you they will let you know during the nesting season they're incredibly protective of their homes any perceived
threats can be met with some pecs and subsequent injuries attacks are typically from male magpies however they'll likely leave you alone if you're good to them many people in australia feed magpies and it appears the birds are less likely to attack those whom they trust is this some kind of bird mafia hey you're one of us now you know how long i've been waiting for one of you old men to kiss me number seven snowy owl who wants to get on a snowy owl's bad side certainly not us these arctic owls are diurnal meaning they're
out both day and night they're also very territorial with immense amounts of courage and some incredibly sharp talents we all know that according to bird law is three strikes a snowy owl will go after wolves who try to swipe their eggs to say nothing of humans their nests are in the ground so they need to be especially careful about keeping mammals away if you ever find yourself in the arctic tundra make sure you do two things wear a heavy jacket and watch out for snowy owls and her attack is as silent as death number six
european herring gull european herring gulls pose a threat to people not only through attacks but also through causing diseases lithuanian researchers found that herring gulls in the country held an e coli gene that's resistant to drugs the hypothesis is that a diet of garbage led to the gull's getting e coli and it can easily spread to humans water can become contaminated with fecal matter from these birds spreading diseases further this coffee smells like it is austin if you think dumping trash on the beach isn't a problem that can come back around to us think again
they're also prone to attack humans they believe are a threat and will even do so in groups number five harris's hawk when you think of a hawk you probably imagine a large bird with a massive wingspan but the harris's hawk is quite small measuring only about two feet long don't let their small stature fool you however because harris's hawk native to the southwestern united states and portions of south america can be incredibly vicious when it comes to attacks time to invite the relatives over for dinner the first hog spots the quarry a jackrabbit they find
strength in numbers hunting and attacking in packs when the rabbit instinctively zigzags away from one predator it runs straight into the talons of another pressure from harris's hawk talons is four times greater than what any human can apply however it is possible to develop a positive relationship with these birds they're often used for falconry and are said to be quite sociable looks like the falconry club's back from the dead number four barred owl show me owl attack there are many types of dangerous birds in north america but the barred owl is said to be the
only one deemed responsible for someone's death a south carolina woman was reportedly attacked by a barred owl receiving severe injuries during the attack she fell down some stairs and was knocked unconscious dying before she could receive medical attention this might be an isolated incident but it shows just how aggressive birds can be and how important receiving prompt medical attention is there have also been reports of barred owls sending people flying out of trees to protect their nests one day he was just gonna fall out of a tree and break his neck whatever happened to him
he fell out of a tree and broke his neck oh god maybe they should invest in some keep out signs number three ostrich the common ostrich is the largest bird on earth and it can be very dangerous if you don't act right around them stand down hey hey what did i just say they're a bit like emus except they're bigger run faster and kick harder an ostrich can run up to 45 miles an hour and its kicks are intense enough to take down a lion if you encounter any ostriches in their native africa or another
habitat don't panic just make sure you don't do anything that could come across as threatening although the number of deaths from ostrich attacks is quite low you certainly don't want to take any chances around them oh and did you know that none other than johnny cash survived an ostrich attack fortunately i was keeping my feathers numbered [Music] number two southern cassowary you should be wary around the southern cassowary get it get it these flightless birds aren't as big as ostriches but they can be just as fierce although they're stunning to look at with their mix
of black blue red and brown coloring admiring their beauty too closely can come at a price not only are cassowaries capable of powerful kicks with sharp claws they can also jump seven feet in the air and are adept swimmers while deaths from their attacks aren't certain they are still possible his urgent call to 9-1-1 came after he was attacked by his pet cassowary in a fight between cassowary and man he didn't stand a chance maybe just look at photos or videos of these birds instead before we unveil our top pick here are some honorable mentions
mute swan these birds are seen as graceful but they can be incredibly dangerous red-tailed hawk this hawk breed also goes after humans harpy eagle this giant eagle found across brazil is plenty fierce lamergaier these bearded vultures can hurt humans through dropping hard items like bones before we continue be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one
pitahui if you're not in new guinea you won't come across any pitahuis that's good news because these birds are extremely dangerous petahuis are actually poisonous the deadliest variety being the hooded pitahui now after handling the pitahuis our mouths began to tingle and burn and even go numb on its body is a toxin shared by poison dart frogs in fact papua new guineans refer to them as rubbish birds due to their toxicity higher doses it can lead to paralysis cardiac arrest and death while they don't send out venom like a snake would eating or even touching
a pitahui can prove fatal don't don't no get away from it you can certainly see how much of an evolutionary advantage this is the lesson is be careful if you're ever going bird watching in new guinea did you enjoy this video check out these other clips from watchmojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos you
