How to protect yourself from crow attacks in downtown Victoria
It's nesting season in downtown Victoria, meaning aggressive crows are out in full force.
Obnoxious as they are, they're actually just being good parents, according to bird specialists.
CTV News weather anchor Warren Dean was out for a walk last Friday when he saw what looked like an injured crow on the sidewalk.
"It looked distressed and I was like 'Aw,'" said Dean. "And then the other one came up from behind me and whacked me in the back of the head."
It's a classic scenario, according to avian expert Ann Nightingale with the Rocky Point Bird Observatory.
She says adolescent crows are the same size as adults when they leave the nest. Approach one, then here comes mom or dad.
"All they're doing is trying to protect their young, and that's a virtue we respect in most animals."
While some people may approve of the birds' parental nature, others are fed up with being dive-bombed downtown.
Crowtrax is an online tracker that catalogues crow attacks in Vancouver and Victoria.
At the top of the pecking order is the intersection of Pandora Avenue and Government Street, which seems to be the epicentre of crow attacks in Victoria this year.
One way to protect yourself from crow attacks is to have eyes on the back of your head, literally.
Crows rarely attack from the front, so you could add some googly eyes to the back of your hat.
Wearing a wide-brimmed hat is also smart and stylish, or you could go full out with a helmet.
Nesting season typically lasts until July, when the adults become much calmer, according to the BC SPCA.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.