Victim gives heads up about rogue crow

Nov 25 2011 by Denis Brown, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

A PERTH office worker is warning North Inch patrons to tread warily after he was swooped on by a rogue carrion crow.

The unprovoked attack occurred around 1pm yesterday as the unwitting 28-year-old was on his lunch break and strolling past the children’s playground near Bell’s Sports Centre.

“I was munching my sandwich, which was wrapped in tin foil, when all of a sudden something banged off the side of my head,” revealed the shocked man, who was not injured in the attack.

“My immediate reaction was absolute horror because I thought someone had lobbed something at me.

“But then I looked up and saw this big dirty crow watching me with its beady eyes, intent, I think, on launching a second attack.

“So I threw my sandwich to the ground and fled – having watched Hitchcock’s movie The Birds again recently, I wasn’t taking any chances.

“I’m no Bill Oddie but I thought birds were supposed to show a healthy respect for humans – but apparently not this one.”

Despite its traditional portrayal in literature and movies as a harbinger of doom, the all-black carrion crow is regarded by ornithologists as one of the cleverest and most adaptable of all native birds.

According to the RSPB, the prevalent and perennial feathered residents are often solitary and fearless but generally wary of humans, surviving on a diet of carrion, insects, worms, seeds, fruit and scraps.

But although crows will take advantage of whatever is on offer, dive-bombing unsuspecting pedestrians clutching sandwiches appears to be out of the ordinary.

“The crow that attacked me just looked your normal well-fed plump crow,” said the office worker.

“I did have a nice piece of Spanish salami in my sandwich though, so perhaps it was tempted by the promise of some tasty exotic meat.

“But whatever the reason, I’d like to warn other North Inch walkers to keep an eye out for this rogue crow.”