LOOK OUT! Dive-bombing crows on attack in Montlake neighborhood



A Montlake resident covers up as she walks down the street to prevent crow attacks. (Photo: KCPQ-TV)



SEATTLE -- Neighbors in Seattle's Montlake neighborhood say they can’t even walk down the street without looking over their shoulders for dive-bombing crows.

“They are so smart,” resident Judy Dailey said.

Dailey loves animals, especially her dog Gunner, but the birds are no fans of hers.

“They really hate us,” Dailey said.

She was out for a walk with Gunner when crows attacked.

“It didn't actually touch the dog, but it came about like 6 inches down and up again; there were two of them,” Dailey said.



Dailey added that she thinks the crows are upset because she rescued a baby robin the other day.

“The crows were furious; they were there to eat the rest of the baby robin,” Dailey said.

Crows don’t forget a face and, according to a University of Washington study, they can recognize someone even after more than a year.

Bill Kuhn said a mother crow protecting her young is after him and his wife.

“A crow flew down and hit her in the back of the head and took off. And me, I was in the front yard this morning and, whoosh, three inches over my head. It's crazy,” Kuhn said.

He said it`s like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock`s "The Birds."

“The Birds was a fundamental piece of growing up in life, so this is tough,” Kuhn said.

Crows can occupy any residential neighborhood as long as there are enough trees for nesting. They are especially aggressive in the spring and summer because they are trying to protect their young.

As for those unlucky neighbors already targeted and marked, the best defense is a disguise.

“Disguise myself, false beard, a little mustache, I think I’ll look good,” Dailey said.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends wearing a hat, carrying an umbrella and waving your arms over your head to keep the crows away.

The nesting season is over in early July.