that is strange. I have never hit a bird, but my daughter had the same thing happen to her on her first long ride. I had a squirrel jump right at my rear wheel last fall. Scared the crap out of me, fortunately he missed. I suspect that would have been a very nasty fall. There is a picture floating around of a squirrel that totaled a bike.

One time I was riding in a double paceline in the swamps out by Tallahassee and the guy in front of me hit a snake. That was a little exciting.