The birds arrived as part of the normal annual migration, but their protective instincts quickly made them a force to be reckoned with.
SACHSE, Texas — A flock of grackles has taken up residence in the parking lot of Sachse City Hall, dive-bombing staff and residents alike — and because the birds are federally protected, the city can’t do much about it.
The birds arrived as part of the normal annual migration, according to city spokesperson Esther Weaver, but their protective instincts quickly made them a force to be reckoned with. The city has coned off the parking spaces and sidewalk nearest the nesting tree in response.
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“We have the normal bird migration, the grackles as usual,” Weaver said, “but there were a couple of grackles that were getting a little bit feisty. They were dive bombing some people.”
Hugo Espinoza of Sachse Animal Services explained the behavior is instinctual.
“They think anything is a threat that gets near their nest,” he said. “They’re not really out to injure you, they’re just trying to shush you away from what they feel is the danger zone.”
The city’s hands are tied when it comes to removing or disturbing the birds.
As Espinoza noted, “They’re federally protected through the Migratory Bird Treaty Act” — meaning once an active nest is established, neither the city nor its residents can legally interfere with it.
In a Facebook post, the City of Sachse acknowledged the situation with some humor, telling followers that if they had walked through the City Hall parking lot and “felt like you wandered onto the set of a Hitchcock film, you’re not imagining things.” The city advised residents to steer clear of the coned-off area “unless you’ve always wanted a cameo in The Birds.”
For those who must venture near, Espinoza offered practical advice: “Maybe wear a hat, carry umbrellas, and kind of just put the word out.”
His personal strategy drew on professional experience.
“As I was walking by watching one, the other one came on this side,” he said. “I’m quick, working with cats, so I moved out of the way.”
He later added: “Do your best to avoid them and they’ll avoid you — it’s kind of a mutual respect thing.”
Inside City Hall, the grackle stories have taken on a life of their own. Weaver said coworkers have been trading increasingly dramatic accounts of close calls.
“One of my coworkers claims that one of them was coming at him and he, like, deflected it,” she said. “It’s been a pretty funny week.”
Weaver herself has so far avoided the worst of it.
“I was fortunately warned in time, so I have not experienced a dive bomb,” she said.
The siege is expected to be short-lived. According to the city’s Facebook post, once the chicks leave the nest — expected within a couple of weeks — the parking lot will return to normal.
But Espinoza said the experience has left something behind worth keeping.
“I think it brought staff together,” he said. “Everyone is kind of watching out for each other. I think it’s been kind of a bonding experience.”