/** * https://gist.github.com/samthor/64b114e4a4f539915a95b91ffd340acc */ (function() { var check = document.createElement('script'); if (!('noModule' in check) && 'onbeforeload' in check) { var = false; document.addEventListener('beforeload', function(e) { if (e.target === check) { = true; } else if (!e.target.hasAttribute('nomodule') || !) { return; } e.preventDefault(); }, true); check.type = 'module'; check.src = '.'; document.head.appendChild(check); check.remove(); } }());
Link to newsround

Brenda the buzzard stops schoolchildren playing outside

brenda the buzzardStella McCarthy / Dame Tipping Primary School

Children at the local school have named the bird Brenda

A buzzard named Brenda has been causing a bit of chaos in the village of Havering-atte-Bower, in London.

The bird of prey has been spotted swooping down at people - so children at the nearby local primary school have been told they cannot play outside while the bird is active.

The RSPCA thinks that Brenda's behaviour could be because she is protecting a nest or chicks.

Buzzards are one of the most common birds of prey in the UK, and are a protected species under UK law, meaning that the options on what to do about Brenda "are very limited" according to the local council.

bird of prey expert Ross with a Chilean blue buzzard eagle on his arm, and three children in the front

Bird of prey expert Ross Hicking visited the school to help them learn more about the birds

Havering Council said its health and safety team has given "detailed advice to the academy trust which looks after the school", including things they can do to safely deter Brenda from swooping at people, including hiring a falconry expert who understands the bird's behaviour.

The school's Head Teacher Stella McCarthy told the BBC they were trying to figure out a way to allow children to play outside where possible, including taking pupils to a nearby school for outdoor play and finding a different location for sports day.

"We had to think about how to risk assess this... it's quite an unusual situation, having to risk assess a buzzard," she said.

drawings of birds of prey by children at the school

The children have been learning all about birds of prey

After accepting that "there was nothing we could do" to remove the bird of prey, the school decided to embrace her instead.

"The children named the bird Brenda and put out posters for protecting Brenda and looking after her... they've been writing stories, reports; next week they'll be doing newspaper articles, they've done artwork."

As part of their learning, they even had a bird of prey expert visit the school - bringing with him a Chilean blue buzzard eagle called Guido.

Expert Ross Hicking said: "Guido (can) help educate the children about what Brenda the buzzard is dong, why she's behaving like this, the natural habits of buzzards, to foster interest in birds of prey and also to teach them about conservation and what we can do to protect birds of prey in the wild."

He also said that, while "99% of the time" buzzards would avoid people due to fear, Brenda's swooping could be connected with the nesting season.

He also said that living in an area near to people meant that "she's a lot more comfortable around people and lot less fearful than most buzzards would be."