Birds Behaving Badly

A Swan, nicknamed 'Cedric the ASBO Swan' has been tormenting the residents of the outskirts of Northampton, England, for the past 5 or 6 years. ASBO's for those who aren't aware are Anti-Social Behaviour Orders .....

Cedric The Swan

He hammers on front doors, and rattles letterboxes for up to 3 hours at the time with his beak. No one is able to explain why this might be the case, and despite a local councillor describing it as a 'flipping nuisance' it shows no sign on stopping. Swans are protected in the UK.Rhea's are not a protected bird in the UK and indeed are not natives either, but like many an illegal immigrant they can be a nuisance .... 

..... so the fact that in March 2021, up to 20 (maybe .... reports varied) Rhea's were reported to be wandering around the Maple Cross housing estate in Herfordshire, England, was cause for the police to be called. One local disputed the large numbers, in fact she believed that it was just one bird being seen at various locations, and was an escapee from a local farm.

Rhea's are large birds, and as no one would admit to ownership of the bird(s), that have been declared as 'wild' by the council, and people advised to avoid them as they are 'aggressive if cornered'.

Chris Rhea - Stalking The Streets Of Maple Cross

Also in March 2021, it was reported that a local postman in the village of Brooke, near Norwich England, was being repeatedly attacked by a male Pheasant as he performed his round. The attacks have taken the form of the bird flying at him, knocked letters from his hands, and pecking at his ankles. 

 

Mr Angry Of Brooke Village

The pheasant, nick named locally as 'Mr Angry' was likely to be just territorial and it was expected that the behaviour would stop once mating time was over.

 

Gull Attacks Can Be Inconvenient.

As the subject of the ire of a homicidal seagull during the mating season in 2021, my sympathies were with the postman. These birds needed to be served ASBO's.