Watch for crows: Dive-bombing season back in Vancouver

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Vancouverites will once again want to be wary of dive-bombing crows.

With nesting season underway, the territorial birds are known to dive down and attack pedestrians passing by their chicks.

Spring after spring, passersby have been chased, pecked at, and even clawed for coming too close to nests.

Until the baby crows have grown up enough to fly and be out of harm’s way, Vancouverites are warned to take precautions and be on alert when walking around outside.

Generally, these attacks take place in downtown Vancouver and the city’s West End, where there are tall trees and narrow sidewalks.

Related articles: 

• ‘If we leave the house, they follow’: Vancouver woman ‘stalked’ by crows as dive-bombing season arrives

• Beware the dive-bombing crows! Birds getting aggressive during nesting season

Experts say hats and umbrellas are the best way to keep yourself safe. If you hear any loud cawing nearby while out for a walk, they say you should take that as a warning sign to cross the road or turn the other way.

If you’ve had the misfortune of being attacked already, best to steer clear of that area for the next few weeks.

Crows are known to be very intelligent creatures with great memories. So if you’ve been attacked once, it’s more than likely that the birds will remember you and attack once more.

While there’s not a lot that can be done to avoid attacks, two instructors at Langara College, Rick Davidson and Jim O’Leary, have developed a tool to help you avoid crow territory.

Their user-generated map, CrowTrax, is able to show the location and severity of crow attacks in Vancouver. Anyone can update the map, which receives over 1,500 accounts a year.

Attacks typically stop by July when the babies have grown stronger and the nests are abandoned.