A woman has described being ‘punched in the back of the head’ by an owl while walking through a dark woodland.

Experts have now found that owl attacks on humans are getting more common as the world’s lush woods are dwindling.

Wildlife researcher Jonathan C Slaght made the claim after a bird assault on American victim Kirsten Mathisen, which was documented on Reddit, prompted other Reddit users in the coastal village of Hansville in the US state of Washington to relate similar accounts.

Mathisen suffered five or six serious cuts on her skull after being ambushed by a white barred owl during a walk in the neighbouring woods, with Slaght reasoning: “The more you reduce the places where an owl can nest, the more likely it’s going to be nesting somewhere in close proximity to humans.”

“If they’re kind of amped up and a fox walks by, a deer walks by, a human walks by, whatever, they’ll pop down and try to chase it off.”

Mathisen was attacked without notice, and her assailant was swift and silent.

“It felt like getting punched in the back of the head by someone wearing rings,” Mathisen told National Public Radio in the United States.

Slaght was able to identify the owl breed after examining photos and videos she took of the animal after it was left with a bleeding head after two unprovoked attacks.

She had previously encountered the bird without incident, but the scientist noted that barred owls, which normally nest in tree cavities, are “aggressive and highly territorial,” and that its behaviour could be explained by seasonal pre-breeding.

Mathisen has changed her walking route to prevent further confrontations with the owl, and she now carries an umbrella or wears a hat to shield herself against a repeat attack, but she bears no ill will toward her adversary, declaring, “I don’t want the owl to be put down or something. It’s very beautiful.”

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