A territorial hawk was seen swooping down on a terrified toddler as her mother pulled the child to safety in their own backyard.
Maya Lim and her daughter, Mave, were outside of their home in Needham, Massachusetts, when the avian attacker came flying at them.
In video of the frightening encounter, Maya could be heard screaming as the hawk dives at them. She was seen grabbing Mave and rushing to safety.
‘I was just playing with my daughter and then I saw this huge bird just, you know, coming for us,’ she told WCVB.
The mother could be heard screaming as the hawk dives at her and her daughter. The mom was seen grabbing the toddler and rushing to safety
The red-tailed hawk is North America’s most common hawk, with an average lifespan of 21 years
Lim said that her first instinct was to protect her daughter and get away from danger.
Raptor biologist John Blakeman said the behavior of the bird, which he identified as a red-tailed hawk, was uncommon and indicative of a protective territorial instinct.
Red-tailed hawks are North America’s most common type of hawk and their population increasing, according to National Geographic.
With an average lifespan of 21 years, they can often be found perched on telephone poles taking advantage of open spaces for hunting.
