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This mockingbird gets plenty of attention when it attacks people who get near its nest in Central Park.
In recent weeks, a mockingbird and its mate have 'gone Hitchcock' on dozens of people visiting Caribou Coffee and its neighbor, the Madison Salon, in Central Park. |
All David Martin wanted was an iced coffee.
He had to endure assault and battery--or more appropriately, assault and birdery--to get it.
Martin's attacker, a mockingbird, was on him the minute the 17-year-old exited his car Thursday in front of Caribou Coffee in Central Park.
The bird divebombed the Stafford County teen and chased him around the parking lot before returning to its nest in a nearby crape myrtle.
"That bird attacks me every time," said Martin, a Caribou regular.
He noted that when the bird nested there last year, it left him alone.
"This time," he said, "I guess it was personal."
Over the past few weeks, the bird and its mate have "gone Hitchcock" on dozens of people visiting Caribou and its neighbor, the Madison Salon. The birds seems to favor the guerrilla approach, always attacking from behind with a loud squawk.
Several people noted that they ran from the same bird last year around this time.
John Adams of New York City said he remembered tussling with the winged assailant last summer when he stopped by the coffee shop while visiting family in King George County. On Thursday, he snapped pictures of the bird and offered himself as a security guy.
"Women started asking me to escort them to their cars," said Adams, who served as a decoy while other customers made for their vehicles.
At the Madison Salon, customers and employees alike watched the parking-lot shenanigans through a picture window.
"This bird is crazy," said stylist Toni Williams. "It attacks everybody walking into the parking lot. You stand here and watch people get out of their cars and run for their lives."
All species of birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Since there's no provision for self-defense, people are urged to simply steer clear of birds when they behave this way.
The behavior is common for mockingbirds and others, including blue jays, robins and wrens, during nesting season, say wildlife experts.
"Mockingbirds are relatively aggressive," said Scott Barras, Virginia's director for the USDA's Wildlife Services Program. "When nesting activity's finished, that behavior should stop."
When the babies have flown the nest, the birds won't feel the need to be so overprotective, said Amanda Nicholson, outreach coordinator at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.
"It will pass," she said. "The end should be in sight. It's kind of a neat experience watching the birds being good parents."
In the meantime, Officer Tom Worthy, Fredericksburg's game warden, said he has suggested that the salon and coffee shop block off the parking spots closest to the birds' nest.
"They could put a little sign up that says, 'Beware: Attack Mockingbirds. Watch your hair,'" said Worthy, adding that the birds might even drum up business. "It's great for the hair salon. When it divebombs you, it messes up your hair--and then you have to go to the salon."
Edie Gross: 540/374-5428
Email: egross@freelancestar.com
In rare instances, when an aggressive bird poses a threat to human safety, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services Program will issue a permit to have the nest removed. To inquire about this program in Virginia, call 804/739-7739.
If you find an injured bird or a baby that appears to have fallen from its nest, you can contact a bird rehabilitation program. To find the one closest to you, visit the Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries' website at dgif.virginia.gov. Click on "Wildlife Information," then scroll to the bottom and click on "Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators."
