8A | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018 | SIUSLAW NEWS
ATTACKS from page 1A
The crow incursions are a
yearly occurrence in Old Town,
transpiring in the months of May
or June, the nesting season for
the birds.
“Crows are territorial and
they’re particularly protective
when their young leave the nest,”
Miller said. “If they believe that
any kind of threat is near — cats,
dogs or people — they will at-
tack.”
He explained that the main
reason for a crow attack is that
“crows invest a lot of time and
energy into their young,” spend-
ing several weeks building nests,
up to 20 days incubating eggs
and another 30 days feeding their
young.
“Crows have very human like
personalities and just like us,
they protect their young,” he said.
“They’re just being good parents.”
Warning signs of potential as-
saults have been posted in rele-
vant Old Town areas for the past
two years.
Aggressive crow behavior is
a worldwide phenomenon. An
entire Canadian website is de-
voted to tracking crow assaults
in Vancouver. The site shows a
map of the city bathed in a sea of
red crow shaped icons that gets
pinned to the map with every re-
ported attack.
Some residents in Florence
have asked why the city does
not move the nests to protect the
tourist areas, with some stating
that the city should be held ac-
countable for such attacks.
However, it is illegal to harm
a crow or destroy an active nest,
per the federal Migratory Bird
Act of 1918. Some municipalities
have attempted to deter attacks
by destroying nests during winter
times, but crows tend to rebuild
nests each year, rarely returning
to their previous roost.
The idea of crows dive bomb-
ing unsuspecting pedestrians is
generally met with jokes involv-
ing Alfred Hitchcock movies
or bands of plucky local theater
kids. But for some, the pounces
can be mortifying.
“While most people laugh
when they first hear of a crow
attack, as someone who has had
a family member attacked and
bloodied a couple of years ago, it
is not a laughing matter,” Miller
said.
Generally, the birds aim for
the head, creating small scratches
on the skull. Because of the large
amounts of blood vessels hidden
just under the skin of the head,
even the smallest gash can create
a gush of excessive bleeding.
“Being outdoors and hear-
ing crows ‘talking’ usually isn’t
a problem, but when the cawing
is accompanied with a bird dive
bombing you, it can be terrify-
ing,” Miller said. “The attacks
generally are from behind and
without warning. They some-
times will smack the person on
the back of the head and if your
hair is long, they can get stuck
in the hair and you can imagine
how traumatic that is, both for
you and the bird.”
If a person does face a crow
onslaught, they shouldn’t panic.
Fighting back will only make the
bird more fearful, and lengthen
the time of the attack.
“Simply turn around and walk
away,” Miller said. “You shouldn’t
flap your arms at them. Just keep
moving and move away from
them.”
While the crow offensive can
leave a lasting impression, there
have been no reported deaths
linked directly to crows. Accord-
ing to a June 2016 article in Sci-
entific American, death by birds
is extremely rare. In fact, the only
birds known to cause human
deaths are cassowaries, ostriches
and a chicken who stabbed a man
in California with a knife at an il-
legal cockfight.
Wikipedia does add one more
to the mix, attributing to the
death of a fisherman by two
swans who teamed up and over-
turned his boat.
Some fear that a crow attack
can lead to the possibility of dis-
ease transmission, like West Nile
Virus, which crows are extremely
susceptible to. In fact, West Nile
outbreaks in recent years have
decimated some populations of
American Crows.
However, the crows do not
transmit West Nile, or any other
diseases, to humans during an
attack. Even if one were to liter-
ally “eat crow,” transmission is
still rare, according to the U.S.
Geological Survey. There is no
evidence of human infections
by consuming properly cooked
birds, though there have been
rare cases of laboratory workers
contracting West Nile through
accidental exposure to infected
tissues and blood.
While death by a “murder” of
crows may be unheard of, crow
behavior can be particularly un-
nerving. They are exceptionally
intelligent birds with the uncan-
ny ability to recognize faces.
“If you anger a bird, it will hold
a grudge against you,” Miller said.
This behavior was described
in a 2008 New York Times arti-
cle about an experiment at the
University of Washington. In the
experiment, two humans were
fitted with two types of rubber
To discourage crows from
Historic Old Town Florence now sports several
“Nesting Crows — Beware!” signs to minimize dan- continuing to nest in Old Town,
ger to people and pets walking down Bay, Laurel Miller asks residents and tourists
alike to help keep the city clean.
and First streets. Nesting lasts for several weeks.
“Crows are scavengers and
thrive
on human garbage,” he
that
they
may
be
targeted
again
the NY Times reported,
said.
“Fewer
open garbage cans,
by
the
protective
family.
To
pre-
with crows persistently
fewer
people
intentionally feed-
vent
further
attacks,
Miller
sug-
screaming and attack-
ing
them
and
fewer food waste
gests
avoiding
the
area
all
togeth-
ing those wearing the
items
left
on
outside
tables means
er.
“mean” mask. Those
fewer
crows.
”
“Change
your
[walking]
route.
with the “neutral” mask
While crow behavior may
escaped the harass- If you have been marked as a tar-
seem
unnerving during these
get,
it
is
best
to
change
your
route
ment.
four
weeks,
generally the birds
to
avoid
the
birds
and
their
nest-
And it wasn’t just the
leave
humans
alone the other 48
ing
areas.
”
crows that had been
weeks
of
the
year.
The
route
change
is
only
need-
tagged that were ex-
“Regardless of what people
hibiting the aggressive ed during the fledgling period.
think,
crows are not evil and are
Once
the
little
ones
leave
the
behavior. The crows
JARED ANDERSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
just
trying
to live their lives and
nest,
crows
go
back
to
avoiding
had
communicated
feed their families, just like the
masks, one slightly mean look- with their flock the dangers of humans.
For those who haven’t yet been rest of us,” Miller said. “We try
ing, and another one that would the “mean” mask, and groups of
be considered neutral. The birds joined to berate the one- blitzed by the birds, Miller gave a to encourage people to enjoy the
crows (but please do not feed
list of precautions.
person with the “mean” mask time “trapper.”
them), as well as other birds, and
“Wearing
a
hat
or
using
an
um-
trapped and banded seven crows
“We have heard that when one
to appreciate them for the fas-
brella
can
fend
off
some
swoops,
for tracking purposes.
crow gets upset with you, the oth-
After the crows were released er crows watch what is going on, but people should avoid areas cinating and highly intelligent
to their usual home, the universi- and they will recognize you too. with tall thick trees, where nests creatures that they are. When the
ty campus, researchers had mul- It can spread through their net- are likely to be hidden, or stay- nesting season ends, crows move
ing clear of trouble spots like to communal roosts and are
tiple people walk around in the work rapidly,” Miller said.
two different types of masks. The
If a person is assaulted by a those that we have signed in Old much less likely to attack.”
results were “quite spectacular,” crow in Old Town, it’s possible Town,” he said.
Art by Tawnya Peerson
UR Worth It
and
Come in r
u
m ee t o st
t yli
s
n ewest .
e
r
a
K n
'#" ## ("46/4:*4239
&'%'#"#%!
&6)%&/7 ' %
:/##"
HAIR SALON
H
Men • Women • Children
M
Need a Perk-Up from the Neck-Up?
We can help you with Cuts, Perms,
Colors & Facial Waxing.
%&'$'&'(%
3:5646''%'* #%"*
#%!#%"#%!'#"+::8.8772
,& ! +
Open Monday –Friday , 9ish-5ish
Late and Weekends by appointment only.
% " ' - ( % " ! +
1247 Bay Street • Florence, OR • 541-997-7377
'%'%&&+
')+
''+
$+
"%&& '%'%&&+
')+
FRESH
CRAB
#"(!%&
#!+
''+
$+
# % +
+
! +
"#%!' #"
%''+
&' %#!$ ' "&## +
"#%!'#"
#
GRILLED SALMON WITH HONEY-SOY MARINADE
INGREDIENTS :
How to Make It:
Ingredients :
1 Tbs packed brown sugar
1 Tbs butter or margarine, melted
1 Tbs olive oil or vegetable oil
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 clove garlic, fi nely chopped
1 large Salmon Filet approx 2 lbs., cut into 8 pieces
In small bowl, mix all ingredients except salmon.
FRESH IN THE CASE THIS WEEK:
Chinook Salmon ( steaks & fi lets)
Ling Cod, Rock Fish, Petrale and
Dover Sole, Shrimp, Oysters,
Steamer Clams, Smoked Fish,
Fresh Crab and More
!%")# "'' & % &
!+
!+
!+
!+
#""(!%+
#""(!%+
#""(!%+
#""(!%+
In shallow glass or plastic dish, place salmon. Pour
marinade over salmon. Cover and refrigerate at least 30
minutes but no longer than 1 hour.
Heat coals or gas grill. Remove salmon from marinade;
reserve marinade. Place salmon, skin side down, on grill.
Cover and grill over medium heat 10 to 20 minutes,
brushing 2 or 3 times with marinade, until salmon fl akes
easily with fork. Discard any remaining marinade.
Happy
Father’s Day!
&!&& "#%!'#"
!
!+
#""(!%+
!+
#""(!%+
'% "#%!'#"
!!
" !
!
THE KRAB KETTLE
280 Hwy. 101 (2 Blocks N. of Bridge) Florence
MONDAY-SUNDAY 10-6 • 541-997-8996
$ !
