Latest news with #birdattacks
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Time to tackle the scourge of Scotland's seagulls...before somebody is killed
Many people find it tempting to dismiss the threat posed by gulls as comic, or to make flippant comparisons with Hitchcock's thriller The Birds. But not the increasing number of those who, from direct experience, know there is nothing funny about the menace that gulls now pose, not only in coastal communities, but in the centre of our largest towns and cities. There's no question that these birds have become ever bolder, and that they pose a very serious risk of injury, particularly to the elderly, the vulnerable and young children. Sooner or later, swooping attacks from gulls will cause serious injury or even fatalities. We, and many of our colleagues in parliament, have been inundated with complaints from constituents who have had to deal with this scourge. We've heard from people who have required medical attention, and in some cases even hospitalisation, because of attacks by birds. The elderly are particularly at risk from injuries as a result of falls. Toddlers face serious damage if they ingest guano – the highly toxic droppings – which may land on them or in their prams or buggies. And everyone is inconvenienced and intimidated by the sheer number of these creatures, who face little or no deterrent for their increasingly aggressive attacks. It is having a significant effect on businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector, and has left some people in the worst affected areas anxious about stepping out in public. There may be several factors behind the rise in this problem, including the failure to keep on top of basic tasks such as refuse collection and changes to the birds' natural habitat, whether man-made or climate-related, but the chief reason is undoubtedly the reluctance of the authorities to take active steps to control the problem with effective deterrents. When quizzed on the matter at Holyrood, ministers have been inclined to minimise the issue and tend to turn instead to the question of conservation and the declining number of seabirds. Everyone is in favour of protecting genuinely endangered species, but it is an absurd state of affairs when government disregards a clear and present danger to the public in favour of a theoretical risk to creatures that are clearly thriving in, and indeed dominating, populated areas that are not their natural territory. Those skewed priorities are a direct consequence of the role played by NatureScot, the Scottish government arms-length body which is responsible for protecting bird numbers in Scotland, but is also the authority responsible for approving or rejecting licences to control them. That creates a clear conflict of interest and – judging by their actions – NatureScot have come down firmly on the side of the gulls, rather than the people whose lives are being made a misery by their behaviour. Last year, without any warning and without any explanation, NatureScot stopped issuing licences for the control of gulls altogether. When we both raised the matter and pressured them for action, they were belatedly embarrassed into granting limited permissions. Many colleagues across the political divide have told us that their constituents have raised similar concerns, which is why the debate this week has attracted cross-party support. But NatureScot's instinct is clearly to oppose any effective means to deal with the problem. In Eyemouth, after a series of gull attacks, they made the preposterous suggestion that dogs should be employed to scare birds away. That is, frankly, bonkers. The sheer impracticality of this suggestion is an indication that this unaccountable quango is failing to take the problem seriously. When they do not dismiss it or prioritise hypothetical benefits for seabirds over real improvements for people, their proposed solutions are increasingly bizarre and unrealistic. They impose significant costs – in some instances running into six figures – on businesses. And they've been encouraged in this intransigent and unreasonable position by government ministers to whom, in theory, they are accountable. Yet when questioned, those same ministers seem happy to parrot the lines produced by the apparatchiks at NatureScot. People are sick and tired of the failure of the government to act to deal with what has become a serious threat to public safety, as well as a blight on our villages, towns and cities. MSPs have an opportunity to correct that this week, and produce an effective means to tackle this menace.
CBC
12-06-2025
- CBC
'Pretty evil birds' are dive-bombing pedestrians in Etobicoke, residents say
Red-winged blackbirds are dive-bombing residents of one Toronto neighbourhood, swooping down and pecking at their heads, but an expert says there's not too much the locals can do as the birds protect their nests. On one street in Etobicoke, near Kipling Avenue and Dundas Street W., the birds with the distinctive markings are annoying and even frightening residents. In some cases, if the pedestrians flee, the birds will chase. Ron Glatt, a local resident who has lived in the area for four years, said on Thursday that the attacks seem to be worse this year than last. He said the red-winged blackbirds live in the trees in the area, including outside his house. "We've just really been seeing them be more aggressive than usual," Glatt said. "When people are running, it seems to make things worse. The birds will follow them down the street. We've seen delivery drivers get repeatedly attacked while they're trying to deliver packages. So yeah, they're pretty evil birds." Glatt said his home security camera footage has shown instances where people have been attacked to the point where they have fallen over. Glatt said it would be good if the birds found another area in which to nest. But failing that, he said he has found that staring at the birds, or making eye contact, is one way to lessen attacks. "Walking backwards and looking at the birds tends to work pretty well," he said. One of the homeowners who lives in the neighbourhood told CBC Toronto that her family stopped using the front door to avoid getting attacked. 'A territorial bird just protecting its eggs' Tristan Boswell, another resident, said he was pecked in the head earlier this week in the evening when he was not wearing anything on his head. "It's a territorial bird just protecting its eggs. And it's annoying," he said. "I've seen people, when people are just passing through, get swooped on and they're like, they're being attacked by some invisible enemy, but it's just a bird nesting and trying to protect its little ones." Boswell said he thinks the birds' behaviour is more of an inconvenience rather than a major problem, but he said the city could perhaps put decoys of hawks or owls or blue jays in the trees to ward the red-winged blackbirds off. "Nothing invasive or anything like that... because life is life, you know," he said. Shane Abernethy, bander-in-charge at the Tommy Thompson Park Bird Research Station, an initiative of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, said the nests are "extremely vulnerable" because the eggs have hatched and they now contain live chicks. Abernethy said bird nests and their eggs are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, an international treaty. Moving them is not possible, he said. 'They're not out for blood' "These birds are defending their nests so this is a purely defensive action. They're not out for blood. This is nesting season for red-winged blackbirds and, in fact, the peak of it," Abernethy said. "As a result, they're aggressively driving away anything they perceive as a threat, which will include any potential predators as well people who have wandered a little bit too close to the nest sites themselves," he said. Abernethy said the attacks should end in the next few weeks. He said the birds attack from behind and he recommends that people make eye contact if a bird is spotted close by, avoid getting close to the birds and consider wearing a hat for protection. In a statement, a city spokesperson said the city can't anticipate where nests are being built or how a bird might react to a person's proximity to one.
National Post
10-06-2025
- General
- National Post
Angry, red-winged blackbirds of death resume their seasonal attacks on Toronto denizens
New to the city, I'd heard whispers of Toronto's angry birds. I'd even mocked signage on the waterfront warning me to beware their avian wrath. Article content Now, in a plot twist one might expect from Edgar Allen Poe, one of the winged devils has set itself up in a tree outside my West-end condominium. Article content Article content 'It appears to be protecting its nest and has been observed attacking pedestrians who walk nearby. We advise all residents to exercise caution when walking in the area. Please see the attached photo for reference.' Article content Article content I scrolled down my email and locked eyes with the creature that has been described as 'feathered and a tiny bit ferocious' — the notorious red-winged blackbird. Article content Attacks by this creature are, by no means, a new or rare phenomenon, I've come to learn since moving to this city, which has fielded complaints about 'attacks' the last two years. Though most likely go unreported. Article content Fearful of nothing, these winged demons have been known to attack large animals, including horses, and, as we know too well, poor, unsuspecting Torontonians just going about their business. Article content Dive-bombing, red-winged blackbirds are recognizable by their red and yellow ' shoulder badges, ' reminiscent of military stripes. But even this description may not keep you safe, as you'll never see them coming. These ferocious harpies are known to swoop out of trees, attacking passersby from behind, striking at their scalps with their talons or beaks. Article content Article content Attacks begin in the spring, when the winged polygynous devils begin to multiply. Article content Article content The species typically starts nesting and incubating its eggs in early June, Nancy Barrett, director-at-large of the Toronto Ornithological Club, well-versed in these flying agents of Cthulhu, told Global News last year at this time. But Torontonians should expect attacks anytime during their mating season, which lasts from late April until the end of July. Article content It's at this time when the highly polygynous males enjoy the company of up to 15 female mates, described as brownish in colour and more subdued. Article content Despite their vicious territorial defence system, 'one-quarter to one-half of nestlings turn out to have been sired by someone other than the territorial male.' Perhaps this explains the males' aggressive nature. Article content I try to empathize with the creature outside my building, telling myself, I'd be frantic and aggressive, too, if I had to fly around and defend 15 nests. The poor fellas are simply exhausted. Perhaps I could reason with the beast, explaining the benefits of monogamy.
