Peril in Chicago: Red-Winged Blackbird Attacks

A couple of years ago, one of our younger family members told me how she hated the red-winged blackbirds because she was "attacked" by a blackbird several times when she walked by a certain tree. I am sorry to report that I wasn't very sympathetic. I thought her imagination was too vivid, and that it was a tall tale. I was wrong.

Today's Chicago Tribune has a story about the increasing menace of red- winged blackbird's attacks on Chicagoans. The male blackbirds have grown very territorial, and are protecting their nests. Turns out that if you are caught in a red-winged attack, the first advice is to look directly at the bird. If that doesn't work, bark like a dog!

If only I had known! I owe that poor child an apology!