If you know even the smallest bit about birds, you know grackels. They look like smaller versions of crows and hang out in giant black packs near urban areas. Mostly, they’re harmless like other urban creatues. But, not this time!
Apparently, people entering a county facility downtown are being dive-bombed by grackels. My friend, Angie, recently had this happen to her and her dog Boo outside her place. Hers wasn’t a grackle, but it is springtime and birds do this sort of thing when they are protecting their nest areas.
What was funny about this story is how the Chronicle described one such encounter with an attorney who they described as “bloddied” by the incident. I was expecting this guy to have had his head tattooed by some pissed off grackel, but not quite…
Grackles dived at a lawyer on his way to the county civil courthouse, said Precinct 1 Deputy Constable Wilbert Jue.
The lawyer swatted a bird away and was readying for another attack when he tripped and injured his face, Jue said. Paramedics treated him for several cuts.
Tripped and injured his face??? This has got to be the most embarrassing injury ever. “So, uh, what happened to your face there, Joe?” “Well, you see, it’s the damn grackles.” “Riiiiiigght.”
Awesome.
Fortunately, the county blocked off the area until the birds finish nesting – probably a couple weeks – so no one else will injure a face.