Don't get on their bad side. Photo: David McNew/Getty Images
If you've been getting side eyed — or straight up dive bombed — by crows recently, you're not alone.
State of play: It's currently peak fledgling season, when young crows leave the nest and spend a few days on the ground before learning how to fly.
Their parents are usually nearby keeping watch and are quick to make a move on anything they perceive as a threat (including you).
The latest: A string of crow attacks at North Portland's Legacy Emanuel Medical Center this week prompted the hospital to post signs, reroute foot traffic and circulate warnings among staff about nests in parking areas, per KOIN.
Crows and their nests have federal protections, making it a crime to harass them or harm their dwellings.
What they're saying: "Give them a wide berth if it's at all possible," Travis Koons, wildlife care center director at the Bird Alliance of Oregon, told the Oregonian.
Crows are highly intelligent and may interpret eye contact as a challenge, he added.
Groups of crows are called a murder for a reason.
The bottom line: The tiny feathered mob bosses currently terrorizing your neighborhood are mostly just stressed-out parents.
The good news: The fledglings will be able to fly soon and will move on in a few weeks.
