An elderly Australian man was killed Sunday after he crashed into a fence while riding his bike — with the fatal collision reportedly a result of his efforts to avoid a swooping magpie.

The unidentified 76-year-old was riding his bike on a path in Nicholson Park in Woonona, New South Wales, around 8 a.m. when he started to ride outside the path to get away from the bird, witnesses told police.

"The man then collided with a fence post, causing him to be thrown to the ground, sustaining serious head injuries," authorities said in a press release on Monday.