Comments on: Big Bird Attacks in Nova Scotia

By: sketko

sketko — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 18:54:20 +0000

I won’t flog the dead turkey here – just a few points I’ll reinforce:
I am extremely familiar with Common Ravens, Northwestern Crows, and American Crows. All can be very intimidating, can participate in aggressive mobbing, can appear larger than they really are, and make the most bewildering variety of noises. I have heard ravens caw, scream, laugh, bellow, hoot, click, whistle, cry, ding (just like a bell), grunt, and talk. Crow vocalizations are less varied, but still impressive. If someone reported being dive-bombed by a large, jet-black bird, I would instantly think it was a crow or raven protecting its patch. It is possible that a raven or crow might rush at someone by ‘run-hopping’ at them (crows and ravens can walk and hop, and can accelerate into a sort of waddling run), though that strikes me as less likely. Large corvids generally prefer the safety of the air when attacking large foes. The ground attack screams “turkey” to me, because that has actually happened to me outside a free-range poultry farm! Tom turkeys are scary as all-get-out when they rush at you. I will also say that even people familiar with the wildlife of an area can make identification mistakes, especially if the animal presents an unusual behavior or is in an unusual place/lighting condition (at least in the observer’s experience). Goodness knows I’ve misidentified common birds, and I’m a seasoned birdwatcher who’s supposed to look out for these things!

By: Lightning Orb

Lightning Orb — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:49:53 +0000

Maybe it was a sick raven with some sort of bizarre symptoms that made it attack people? Mad dogs will attack more than normal ones, maybe birds are the same. Hope this isn’t the bird flue

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:16:35 +0000

Coldpittsdragon- I have seen crows run at adults, children, cats, and dogs. Not really run, but hop towards them, puffed up to make themselves look bigger, making a racket. It’s actually not all that unusual in Japan where I live, or places where they have grown accustomed to and lost there wariness of people. It is not an actual attack like the swooping can be, but more of a threatening gesture that seems to happen most often when the crows are trying to chase someone or something away from food. It’s a bluff, and if you stand your ground, they will back off, but they are fairly persistent when they want something. I would even say that I have seen this behavior more often than swooping behavior from the crows here, especially in public parks where they seem to have developed extraordinary boldness. They will hop all over chasing things. It does happen, and it is quite capable of freaking some people out.

By: Colpittsdragon

Colpittsdragon — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:10:49 +0000

I would have to say that a crow or raven seems the least likely subject, at least for the man’s story. It seems unlikely that either one of them would run at someone. I’ve been all through the woods, hiking and whatnot, and I’ve seen territorial crows swoop at people, but never charge them. They nest in the trees, so it seems even more unlikely that a crow would be at all worried about someone walking on the ground.

My guess: A turkey, probably a female protecting her nest. I’ve been charged by those before, it’s scary. And I can definitely see how, depending on lighting conditions, a turkey could appear black, and they can make some odd noises (growls, crows and hisses).

A third option (I’m not sure if anyone has even mentioned this) could be a Canadian goose. I’m not sure if they appear at all in Nova Scotia, but I’ve seen angry geese and they are definitely something to carry stick for. They can run, and they make noises like the man described, they also attack with their wings held out like that. It would be hard to think that a goose was jet black, but again, if you’re trying to escape while also trying to keep the bird back, and if the shadows from the woods were right, it might appear that way.

As for the encounter that the woman had, probably THAT was a crow/raven.

By: Haley Fisher

Haley Fisher — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:05:10 +0000

Hi everyone.

I grew up very close to that area in Nova Scotia, and there are tons of crows and ravens there. If it was either of those, then I’m sure the witnesses would have recognized it right away. I’d say raven/crow is at the bottom of my list.

I almost vote for cormorant, but I don’t think there are any in that area. They tend to stick right on the coast by the water, and the behavior isn’t typical at all.

I had no idea that there were wild turkeys in N.S. so I can understand that if some one wasn’t familiar with them, they wouldn’t know what it was. I grew up on a turkey farm, and although the behavior seems strangely aggressive to me, I can see how wild ones might behave like that.

The black vulture is an interesting idea. I’ve never seen them myself, but being quite familiar with the local fauna, I can’t think of what else it could be.

By: springheeledjack

springheeledjack — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:12:22 +0000

My main problem with the turkey is that I would think the witnesses would have at least caught the red on a turkey and mentioned it…the fact that they were talking about a bird black as coal, makes me think no on that front.

I don’t know my birds well either, but I would put a vote in on the black vulture also…it looks big enough, and even though vultures are primarily scavengers, it is possible they might attack something for territorial reasons…a guess at best…

By: gkingdano

gkingdano — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:29:53 +0000

Scared old man’s imagination made the BIG BAD BIRD grow – territorial crow. NEXT ITEM PLEASE!

By: HOOSIERHUNTER

HOOSIERHUNTER — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:25:10 +0000

I personally am with mystery_man on this. I have had a lot of experience with crows in the wild and can tell you they are very intimidating when they want to be. I have had less experience with ravens but I do agree that the surprise factor probably did make it seem bigger. Crow or Raven is the most logical and less problematic answer.

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:12:16 +0000

cryptidsrus- Ravens and crows make a very wide range of vocalizations. I have been surprised on occasion and I see them all the time where I live.

As far as your point about someone recognizing a crow or raven as such, that is very true. It is one thing that has been bothering me about the crow or raven idea. I think you and clancyryan are right that someone familiar with them attacked or threatened by one would probably be more likely to report it as a very large and aggressive cow or raven rather than as a mystery animal. I do think there is a possibility that we are dealing with a bird perhaps not so common in those parts.

Still, I strongly am leaning towards raven. People can be shocked and surprised. From personal experience, I can say that crows are all over the place in Tokyo, and even I can imagine myself being spooked by one under the right circumstances. Someone could maybe think they saw something strange. Maybe the witnesses had never seen a raven act like that and in their panic they misidentified what it was. I can see that happening. Like another poster said, I wish we had more of a description of appearance as all we have to go on is that it is big and black.

Honestly, birds are not really my area of expertise either, but the appearance known so far, the behaviors, and the sounds reported fit with a raven. Anyway, you are right. It does seem a bit odd that someone would not recognize it as a raven if they see them on a regular basis.

By: clancyryan

clancyryan — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:04:45 +0000

I live in nova scotia, and if it was a crow those people saw, they would have known it was a crow instantly. They’re all over the place over here. Ive never seen a turkey though, so its my guess thats what they saw and didnt recognize it. If i head out to bridgewater, I’ll take my camera and a stick.