"Landed on my head": Crow nesting season is upon us in Vancouver

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" (@Movieclips/YouTube)

It’s a time of year that many Vancouver residents fear: crow nesting season.

If you’re wondering why your regularly peaceful neighbourhood crow is suddenly attacking you, it’s not because of your choice of outfit; it’s because it’s a vulnerable time for new crow parents.

BC SPCA says springtime to early summer is crow nesting season and that the crows that might be hounding you are protecting their young. That doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, and people have been sharing their experiences of being attacked early this spring.

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CrowTrax is a website where people can share that they’ve been attacked, including the level of aggressiveness of the attack on a scale of one to five. One person in the West End reported that two crows attacked them simultaneously, adding, “Both landed on my head.”

That attack had level-five aggressiveness.

Someone else reported that a crow had been following them for a whole block near the Burrard Bridge, “attacking me all the way.”

Somehow, that was only a level one on the scale of aggressiveness.

Near Kits Beach, someone said a “crow charged me unexpectedly, and I ran into a bush!!”

It’s not just Vancouver, as people have reported attacks in other parts of the Lower Mainland.

Someone reported that near Steveston in Richmond, a crow did three dive bombs at their head, making contact each time.

How can you avoid being mobbed by crows?

The BC SPCA suggests altering your travel routes if you’re near known nesting sites.

If you need a way to defend yourself, the SPCA also suggests carrying an umbrella to “add a little extra distance between you and the concerned parents.”

Crow nesting season doesn’t end until July, so if you’re worried about the birds, you’ll have to be extra vigilant over the next few months.

Have you been attacked yet this season?