This is the scary moment a giant crane bird attacked a boy in a restaurant garden in Mexico.

The youngster was playing with a friend near bushes when the 4ft-tall creature approached them and began pecking the terrified boy at a restaurant in Mexico City on February 19.

He lost balance and fell on the plant box before quickly getting back to his feet and escaping the Grey crowned crane. A woman was seen coming towards the bird to chase it away after the incident.

Onlooker Jorge Ivan Cruz Juarez said: 'I was with my family in a restaurant when we heard a loud shout on the ground until I saw the big bird attacking the boy.

'We were all shocked and fortunately, the kid escaped.'

Restaurant staff were alerted by the incident and took the Grey crowned crane along with other peacocks to an enclosure after the incident. One of the staff said the birds lived as free-range pets inside the restaurant garden but they were not usually aggressive towards guests.

The boy was not seriously hurt and the staff reportedly talked to guests after the incident.