Man suffers head injury after duck attack

A Vernon man says he suffered a concussion after a bizarre encounter with a bird.

Will Maki says he was attacked by a Muscovy duck while outside an auto repair business on Kosmina Road around 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning.

“I was taking some stuff to my truck when a bird came down and hit me in the head. It dive bombed me from behind and just about knocked me out. It put me in emergency. I was diagnosed with a concussion at the hospital,” Maki told Vernon Matters.

Maki said the bird came at him from behind, perhaps thinking he was prey.

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“It was a big bird, the size of a hen, and fish and wildlife was coming to get it. The interesting thing was the duck couldn’t get up after. It was bleeding after it hit me and it knocked me down. I was out for a few seconds.”

Maki said employees from the auto shop came to help and tried to shoo the duck away.

“But the duck could barely walk. And then another duck landed, a black one, the same sort of duck, and it turned out to be his mate. The other one couldn’t fly so it stood there protecting it. Fish and wildlife were on the way to kind of save it I guess,” Maki said.

Maki said it was quite an experience.

“I don’t know what it figured I was. The wildlife guys figured it thought I was some kind of prey. It was bright sunshine at the moment and there was a lot of glare and it mistook me for something,” Maki added.

While Muscovy ducks are native to Mexico, the North Okanagan Conservation Officer Service said they are not considered wildlife.

“North Okanagan Zone Conservation Officer Service did not attend on this incident. Muscovy ducks are domestic. They are not wildlife. Since they are not wildlife they do not fall within the COS mandate,” a statement from B.C.’s Ministry of Environment said.