The clouds darken. Avian war cries resound, and the orchestra leaps into a baleful tremolo as unsuspecting academics star ‘shy;’mdash; one by one ‘mdash; in the storied horror plot of the Price Center stairway.
It’s a live Alfred Hitchcock flick in full color, and the audience is growing.
The saga began May 18, when University Centers officials received word that a small, black bird was aggressively swooping down on pedestrians as they descended from Library Walk to Price Center Plaza. Upon investigation, maintenance staff discovered two Brewer’s blackbirds guarding a nest of four eggs ‘mdash; which hatched Friday ‘mdash; in a tree above the stairs.
According to associate professor of ecology, behavior and evolution David Holway, the bird’s behavior is not random. During periods of fledging, Brewer’s blackbirds ‘mdash; like many other avian species ‘mdash; are extremely protective of their young.
Disinclined to disturb the nest, University Centers Director Paul Terzino and his staff decided to post signs at each end of the path warning passersby of the territorial residents.
‘We’re just trying to protect the things, but protect our students at the same time,’ he said. ‘It’s comical, but in a macabre kind of way.’
Reports of physical damage have been more or less limited to light tickling and disheveled hair; more notable is the fan base that has accumulated with the rise in attacks. Spectators now frequent the stairs to encourage the bird, and online chatter has exploded.
Eleanor Roosevelt College junior Sylvie Lee, a two-time victim, has posted hours of video footage on the humorous ‘self-help’ Facebook group she created for victims.
If anything, she said, the phenomenon has unified the campus community.
‘Honestly, it’s hilarious,’ she said. ‘It’s the best thing to happen to campus in a while.’
Her Facebook group, ‘Victims of the Price Center Bird,’ has attracted over 1,300 members in just two weeks. Its long list of comments includes violent threats and elaborate apocalyptic theories.
One blogger, Revelle College freshman Sameer Bahl, cited the Book of Genesis, suggesting that animals on college campuses have overstepped their inferior ‘place in society.’
‘I think animals on college campuses feel they have a sense of entitlement,’ he said. ‘I’ve seen them poop on people shamelessly.’
Nevertheless, Lee and Bahl emphasized that their commentary is facetious, and they urged victims to refrain from harming the birds.
University Centers Associate Director John Payne said potential deterrents would include amplified predator noises and large Mylar balloons with eyes, but that these options are both unsightly and expensive.
‘We’ll prune the trees more frequently so we can see the nests, but there are times when nature and man just have to try to get along the best they can,’ he said.
Readers can contact Jesse Alm at [email protected].