I am not a pilot and know I don't go anywhere near as fast as an aircraft nor do I know anything about aircraft maneuvering or if safety is compromised by such a maneuver, But I know that so far,  my car avoidance efforts have been pointless; the birds (small in my case) are much more agile and have much quicker reaction times (unfortunately ones that can take them in the wrong direction), than I do in my car. For me these strikes are rare, but have happened. I am just curious if you are a pilot and can answer some of these questions, now that this bird strike has become a part of the investigation. It is very helpful to hear what all pilots have to say  to get the big picture and I have been going through the comments getting information from pilots, but have not asked you yet. What would be the closing speed of a 20 lb bird hitting your aircraft at a typical cruise speed? When would a bird flying level directly in your line of sight be seen and recognized as a hazard?