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  June 17, 2005


crow
Perhaps it's just because I'm paying closer attention, but in the past few months I have observed an alarming number of instances of groups of small birds savagely and relentlessly pursuing and attacking larger birds. The first time I noticed it I put it down to defence of the nest, mates or young, but I have seen it so often lately, and in such Hitchcockian extremes (I watched a crow fleeing frantically from a dozen much smaller birds, for a full fifteen minutes, and heard it utter what were obviously anguished cries of pain at the ferocity of the attack) that I'm wondering if there's something more sinister going on. I understand redwing blackbirds are known to gang up on crows, but on at least two of these occasions the gang-attack 'victims' have been jays and even hawks. I've seen a raft of instances where birds attacked others with such frenzy that both the attackers and victims flew recklessly into oncoming road traffic.

These avian participants are so common in the summer here that I'm sure I would have noticed this phenomenon before if it had been anywhere near as frequent or belligerent. And this week's CSM reports an increase in bird-on-human and bird-on-car attacks as well, and chalks it up to encroachment on bird habitat. Has anyone else notice increased bird aggressiveness? Anyone have any theories or even intriguing hypotheses? Might there be a connection to the surge in West Nile Virus among some of these birds?

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