Ok, what's the story with these dive bombing birds in Upper Noe Valley?! They're tiny little black sparrows that sneak up behind people, fly into their head and then flee. It's nuts. I was attacked and then watched, one after one, they kept going like clockwork. We saw them in two places: 24th between Castro and Diamond and then on 23rd and Diamond.Then on Twitter yesterday: "Birds attacking peeps just past Barney's on 24th btw Diamond n Castro. Happening since May. Prob springtime babies."
And then today Curbed pointed out this post on Boing Boing: "I spotted this somewhat disconcerting sign at a playground yesterday." The sign from the Upper Noe Rec Center shown in the above photo reads "Beware of attack birds! Incidents of small black birds pecking at public."
We don't have a photo of the offending birds, but we're guessing it's the European (or Common) Starling. First introduced to the US in the 1890s they are now the "most hated bird in North America." Yes it hurts when they peck at your head while defending their nest, but consider this: they've been known to take down airplanes.
We'd still like a photo if anyone has one.
[Update 7/7: @oddnoc believes he knows what they are: "They're not sparrows, but Brewer's blackbirds. They're not being "bizarre," but are defending their nests."]
12 comments:
no, their anger is annual as they nest in the trees thereabouts and have been doing so for many years.
yep, the little bastards used to dive at my scalp all the time. Used to be in front of Bell Market (now Whole Foods)
I first noticed this as a kid in the 80's…don't know where the rest of you have been…oh yeah, somewhere else!
You are the invader and deserve to have your hair ruffled!
getting attacked by one of these birds is a noe valley rite of initiation. i still remember my first time: sleepwalking to Tulley's one morning in the 90s and suddenly feeling as if someone had roughly shoved the back of my head. it was scary -- yet always entertaining to watch it happen to someone else. you could just sit on a bench in front of Tulley's and watch the tree in front of Bell Market, and soon enough, one of those f*ckers would swoop down on some poor unsuspecting soul.
after the first attack, i started wearing a hat in may. and i walked on the other side of the street.
Had one sit on my shoulder and chew me out for a block during a walk to coffee. All and all s/he was fairly polite in a total "get off of my lawn" sort of way.
I have trained them well. They attack anytime someone has a positive thought about parkletts, the farmers market or having kids.
Typical Cranky Noe Neighbor
Been attacked 5 times in the last week. I've learned to walk on the other side of the road!
TIME FOR A CHANGE???? CAN'T YOU COME UP WITH A BETTER QUOTE THAN THIS ONE: "Another coffee shop? Why dont you just open another nail salon? Dog Joke. Baby joke. Parking complaint. Yuppie joke. Comment about how things arent what they used to be." LIKE, HUH???
I just got nailed on the head. Sanchez between 26th and Clipper. haha.
Sanchez between 30th & Day, on the park side -- you've been warned!
They're being described as sparrow-sized, so probably not Starlings, which are bigger.
They are Brewer's Blackbirds, not starlings or sparrows.
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