(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — It’s angry birds — real-life edition.
People who are finally getting around to taking a nice stroll along Chicago’s lakefront may be in for a rude surprise. Some overzealous red-winged blackbirds are dive-bombing people in an attempt to protect their nests.
“Red-winged blackbirds nest in our lakefront parks,” said Doug Stotz, Senior Conservation Ecologist at the Field Museum. “The males get very aggressive around the nest, basically when the nest has chicks.”
Stotz knows firsthand how defensive the birds can be. He said he’s been a victim of their wrath plenty of times.
“They kind of call and are flying near you and then they’ll swoop in, bill first. So they’re striking you with a hard, sharp bill.”
The strafing tends to die down by July. Until then, Stotz urges those wandering the Lakefront Trail and other spots to be aware of their surroundings.
“My experience is that if you’re in a group, they may fly around you, but they won’t attack,” he said. “It’s single people that are what usually get their attention.”
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