Spring 2004

Table of Contents

"Attacking" birds aren't crazy

Spring and summer bring out what looks like the worst in birds — "attacks" on hapless humans.

Dive-bombing crows, swooping swallows, and hissing geese are not crazy. They’re all just defending territory or young at this time of year, and their aggressive behavior is part of what makes them successful.

To avoid being a target, stay away from nesting areas as much as possible until the young are flying (three to four weeks after eggs hatch) and the parents are no longer so protective. If you must walk past a nest, wave your arms slowly overhead to keep the birds at a distance. Or just wear a hat or helmet, or carry an umbrella. Don’t attempt to "rescue" chicks found outside nests when adult birds are calling loudly nearby.

Beyond the nesting season, some birds are aggressive when they become accustomed to being fed and lose natural fears of humans. Ducks, geese and gulls around city and suburban waterways where they are fed may come to expect food from every human. Their begging methods may actually include chasing, hissing, and pecking; when food is flung their way to ward them off, their bad behavior is reinforced. (This "conditioned response" technique was actually used to train the gulls and crows that chased the actors in the Hitchcock thriller "The Birds".) In these cases, pick up small children and leave the area. If necessary, act aggressively toward the birds by waving your arms and shouting.

Other hunger-motivated behavior by birds is less threatening. Hummingbirds are known to buzz people wearing red, perhaps thinking that they were a group of nectar-rich flowers.