Kmart customers forced to abandon Christmas shopping thanks to a swooping falcon

The large predator — the fastest bird in the world — swooped customers, causing the store to close for hours.

The peregrine falcon rests on a toy motorbike at Mt Druitt Kmart. Picture: Supplied

Well, this was hawkward.

A Kmart had to close today because a large bird made its way into the store, with a little lorikeet in its grasp, and started swooping customers.

Identified as a peregrine falcon — the fastest bird in the world — it turned its focus from hunting local pigeons to do a spot of shopping at the chain’s Westfield Mt Druitt store.

One customer said she saw her life flash before her eyes, and she desperately needed Kmart today, which caused quite the conundrum.

The bird of prey had been in the store since 4am, with wildlife rescuers arriving about 10.30am.

“The fire brigade had trapped it in one of the female change rooms,” rescuer Lana Wedgewood told the Blacktown Advocate.

Patricia Connolly posted this picture on Facebook.

Customer Elyshia Cronin said the falcon was “bloody huge”.

“We got told to get out because he was swooping people,” she told the local paper.

“It wasn’t exactly the Christmas shopping trip I expected.

“I saw the bird and once I saw how big it was I figured I can go shopping at Target instead. It wasn’t worth getting swooped.”

Westfield Mt Druitt left many customers who weren’t at the store hanging with their cryptic post on Facebook.

Their community announcement said the store had closed due to the “presence of wildlife”.

“Wow it must be something big. I wonder what it is,” said one woman.

Originally published as Kmart customers forced to abandon Christmas shopping thanks to a swooping falcon