A bird flew into my window.

[propita]

Rhubarbodendron wrote:

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"oh my god! Did it savage you?"

"Did it savage you"?!

Did he really phrase it that way? I find that hilarious for some reason.

[Melakon]

Maybe all these incidents involve extras from a Hitchcock film.

[RJDiogenes]

Actually, I've heard that hummingbirds are pretty savage creatures.

[Rhubarbodendron]

^^ I can't recall if he actually phrased it like this, but the image it created was that of a rabid monster, savagely attacking any human in sight. He definitely thought that hummingbirds rated at the same danger level as rattlesnakes and grizzlies (but then he is city bred...).

[propita]

Rhubarbodendron wrote:

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^^ I can't recall if he actually phrased it like this, but the image it created was that of a rabid monster, savagely attacking any human in sight. He definitely thought that hummingbirds rated at the same danger level as rattlesnakes and grizzlies (but then he is city bred...).

That's exactly what made me laugh.

[RJDiogenes]

I forget where I read it-- Smithsonian, maybe, or Natural History or National Geographic-- but, pound for pound (or ounce for ounce [or gram for gram]), hummingbirds are one of the most savage animals on Earth.

Sciffy should make a movie about Were-Hummingbirds.

[Finn]

^how so? They consume nectar...

[RJDiogenes]

Memory unclear. Competition with other hummingbirds for nectar, maybe. Or defense of territory. Competition for mates. I'll see if I can track it down if I get a minute.

[Rhubarbodendron]

http://birding.about.com/od/birdbeha...Aggression.htm
The ruby-throated hummingbird is said to be particularly aggressive and even defends flowers it considers its property.

also

University of Maine wrote:

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Hummingbirds are extremely territorial about food sources and nest sites. [...]
Males aggressively protect a territory of about a quarter acre that contains nectar sources and a perch or two. They chase out other rubythroats, and sometimes large insects such as bumblebees, wasps and sphinx moths. As the season progresses, they shift their territory to an area with new nectar.
Sometimes female hummingbirds are territorial about food sources, and like males, chase intruders away. Because of their behavior in protecting food sources, it is fairly unusual to see two hummingbirds spending time together unless it is during courtship, a mother and her young, or perhaps two fledglings that have just ended their dependence on their mother.
Each female protects a territory immediately around her nest, which is usually outside the male’s territory. She may chase any species or size of bird in defense of the nest and her young.

full article here: http://umaine.edu/publications/7152e/

Finn wrote:

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^how so? They consume nectar...

that'd make them perfect were-vampire hummingbirds!

[RJDiogenes]

^^ Thank you for doing research for me.

Vampiric Were-Hummingbirds. Sounds like a classic to me.

[Rhubarbodendron]

you're welcome. I was doing some other zoological internet search anyway, so that it wasn't really much work.

You can defend yourself against the vampire were-hummingbirds with garlick flowers with a silver bullet in them:

[RJDiogenes]

This movie will write itself. "Ah, the sweet nectar of human blood." Good stuff.

[Rhubarbodendron]

might win us an Oscar. I know three writers and a postproduction sound/optical effects specialist. Now we just need a CGI guy and a sound & camera team.
Bonzie is a very good seamstress (not in the Pratchett-ish sense!) and could sew the costumes. make up is not *that* difficult - we have many talented people here.
But we need someone with money. C perhaps? With all these ads here he must be the Dutch equivalent of Rockefeller.

[Captain Picard.]

propita wrote:

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Lol!

We had a bird dive bomb our antenna while on a freeway. Result was blood on the car and a dead bird.

Happened to me a few months ago as well. I had to jet wash my car to get the blood and feathers off.

[RJDiogenes]

Rhubarbodendron wrote:

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might win us an Oscar. I know three writers and a postproduction sound/optical effects specialist. Now we just need a CGI guy and a sound & camera team.
Bonzie is a very good seamstress (not in the Pratchett-ish sense!) and could sew the costumes. make up is not *that* difficult - we have many talented people here.
But we need someone with money. C perhaps? With all these ads here he must be the Dutch equivalent of Rockefeller.

Time for a Kickstarter campaign!