Welcome to a whirlwind tour of 15 strange myths that have fluttered through history alongside the epic journeys of migratory birds. From ancient philosophers to modern‑day scientists, people have tried to explain the awe‑inspiring spectacles in the sky, often with wildly imaginative stories. Below, we unpack each legend, contrast it with what we now know, and sprinkle a little fun along the way.

15 Strange Myths Unveiled

15 Metamorphosing Redstarts

Aristotle, the great Greek thinker, once observed that redstarts vanished just as robins appeared, and he concluded that the former magically transformed into the latter during winter, only to revert in summer. He called this a “transmutation”—essentially a seasonal shape‑shift. The philosopher likely confused the bright red tail of the redstart with the robin’s red breast, and even suggested other swaps, like garden warblers turning into blackcaps. While today we know the truth is simple migration, it’s fascinating to imagine how such a logical yet mistaken deduction could arise from limited observation.

In hindsight, Aristotle’s theory reflects the human tendency to fill gaps with the most vivid visual parallels available, especially when the birds’ plumage changes seasonally. It also reminds us that even the brightest minds can be led astray without concrete data.

14 Woodcock Pilots

In the autumn, tiny goldcrests zip north from Scandinavia, while larger woodcocks follow a similar route across the North Sea. Folk lore held that the diminutive goldcrests perched on the backs of the woodcocks, hitching a ride because they were too small to brave the stormy waters alone. Yorkshire locals even dubbed the goldcrests “woodcock pilots,” imagining these feathered navigators steering their hefty hosts.

Today we understand that both species migrate independently, each equipped with its own navigational toolkit. Yet the image of a goldcrest perched like a tiny co‑pilot on a woodcock’s back still captures the whimsical charm of early ornithological folklore.

13 Hibernating Underwater

Swallows, the agile aerialists that spend summers across Europe and winters in Africa, cover roughly 300 km (186 mi) each day to reach South Africa in five weeks. In the 1700s, naturalist Gilbert White hypothesized that these birds dove beneath the water in September, burying themselves in mud to escape the cold. He imagined a sort of avian torpor, a watery hibernation that seemed more plausible than a fragile bird traversing continents unaided.

The myth persisted until the advent of bird‑ringing (or banding). Researchers discovered that the tiny metal tags on swallows never rusted or faded—behaviors that would be inevitable if the birds truly spent months submerged. This evidence finally convinced skeptics that swallows indeed migrate long distances rather than hibernate underwater.

12 Flying To The Moon

Charles Morton, a 17th‑century English scientist, took the idea of avian mystery to cosmic heights. Concluding that no one could pinpoint where migrating birds vanished, he proposed that they left Earth entirely, journeying to the Moon and back each season. In his view, the birds’ incredible mileage was best explained by a lunar detour.

Modern science, of course, knows that a round‑trip to the Moon spans roughly 770,000 km (480,000 mi) and would require oxygen, pressure, and a vacuum‑proof vessel—none of which birds possess. While the notion is delightfully outlandish, it underscores how the limits of contemporary knowledge can inspire wildly imaginative explanations.

11 Hatching From Barnacles

Barnacle geese spend their summers nesting in the icy reaches of Greenland and Svalbard, then migrate to the milder UK winter. Because they never nest locally, early observers imagined the birds simply appearing out of nowhere—specifically, emerging from goose barnacles, the crustaceans that cling to rocks and ships. The visual similarity of the striped geese and the black‑and‑white barnacles reinforced this belief.

Olaus Magnus extended the theme, claiming that ducks hatched from trees whose fruit, when ripe, fell into the sea and split open to release ducklings. Though charming, neither story survived scientific scrutiny; direct observation and modern tracking have shown the true migratory pathways of these waterfowl.

10 Predicting Disaster

Waxwings, irruptive visitors to the UK, appear only when food supplies elsewhere dip, leading 19th‑ and early‑20th‑century observers to view their arrival as a dire omen. Some believed that a waxwing influx foretold an especially harsh winter, and in 1914 the species was even blamed for heralding the onset of World War I.

While the birds certainly signal ecological shifts—such as mast failures in their native boreal forests—their presence does not predict human conflict. Nonetheless, the myth illustrates how humans have long linked natural phenomena to future misfortune.

9 Sinking Ships

Pliny the Elder recorded that migrating quails would alight en masse on ships at night, causing the vessels to sink. Though he left the motive ambiguous—whether the birds acted deliberately or simply overloaded a weakened hull—modern readers recognize the implausibility: an army of tiny quails could never generate enough weight to capsize a ship.

Pliny also entertained other fantastical tales, such as miniature African humans (pygmies) battling cranes while riding goats and sheep. In the context of his era, such stories blended observation with imagination, giving rise to the quail‑ship legend.

8 Carrying New Babies

The iconic image of a stork delivering newborns to families has deep roots in folklore, but a compelling scientific twist lies in the bird’s migration calendar. Storks embark on a southward trek to Africa around the summer solstice, then return to Europe precisely nine months later—mirroring the human gestation period.

Historically, many Northern Europeans timed marriages to the longest day of the year, ensuring that a child born at the next solstice would align with the storks’ spring return. This synchrony likely cemented the enduring association between storks and newborns.

7 Being Two Species At Once

Hummingbirds, famed for their high‑speed aerial acrobatics, have sparked a peculiar myth: that they are half‑bird, half‑insect. Queen Isabella of Spain reportedly received reports describing hummingbirds as a cross between a bird and a bug—a confusion likely fueled by the bee hummingbird’s minuscule size and the striking resemblance between hummingbirds and the hummingbird hawkmoth.

Adding to the confusion, some observers claimed hummingbirds were too tiny to manage long migrations on their own, insisting they must hitch rides on larger birds like geese. In reality, these tiny powerhouses can travel up to 4,300 km (2,700 mi) unaided, and the hawkmoth itself undertakes impressive seasonal migrations.

6 Following A Microlight

Not every tale is a myth. In 1995, Swedish meteorologist Christian Moullec rescued a flock of orphaned lesser white‑fronted geese by piloting a light aircraft and leading them along their proper migratory route. The birds imprinted on Moullec as a surrogate parent, learning the way and then remembering it for life.

Since then, Moullec repeats the airborne escort annually, proving that a single guided flight can embed a full‑season navigation map into a goose’s brain—sometimes even if the guide is a microlight rather than a traditional bird.

5 The Longest Migration

Arctic terns claim the title of world’s most far‑travelled travelers, routinely covering about 70,900 km (44,100 mi) each year as they shuttle between polar breeding grounds and Antarctic winter havens. One particularly intrepid individual logged a staggering 81,600 km (50,700 mi), equivalent to circling the globe three times. Some records even suggest journeys approaching 90,000 km (56,000 mi).

These epic voyages illustrate the extraordinary endurance and navigational precision of avian migrants, dwarfing any human‑made long‑distance travel in sheer distance covered annually.

4 Restless In Captivity

Even birds raised entirely in captivity exhibit a powerful internal clock that triggers migratory restlessness—known as “zugunruhe”—when the season arrives. These birds, having never embarked on a true migration, will flutter, hop, and attempt to fly in the direction they would naturally travel, underscoring that the urge to migrate is hard‑wired, not learned.

Such behaviors confirm that migration is an innate, genetically encoded program, activated by environmental cues like day length, regardless of a bird’s upbringing.

3 The Shortest Migration

The North American dusky (or blue) grouse performs what many consider the world’s briefest migration, moving only about 300 meters (1,000 ft) in elevation—from wintering high‑altitude alpine habitats down to lower‑lying deciduous woodlands in summer. While some debate whether this qualifies as true migration, the seasonal shift still reflects a purposeful relocation.

Whether classified as a migratory event or a simple altitudinal adjustment, the grouse’s modest journey highlights the diversity of movement strategies among birds.

2 High Flyers

Bar‑headed geese hold the record for the highest altitude achieved during migration, soaring up to 8,851 meters (29,040 ft) above sea level—high enough to peek out of a commercial airliner window. By comparison, the highest bird ever recorded, a Ruppel’s griffon vulture, reached 11,278 meters (37,000 ft) before being sucked into a jet engine.

Other high‑altitude specialists include the bar‑tailed godwit, capable of nonstop flights covering 11,000 km (7,000 mi), and the great snipe, which can sustain 6,760 km (4,200 mi) journeys at speeds around 100 km/h (60 mph)—both feats of endurance and speed unmatched by most avian travelers.

1 Smaller Brains

Surprisingly, migratory birds tend to have smaller brains than their non‑migratory counterparts. Maintaining a big brain is energetically costly, and for species that must fuel long‑haul flights, trimming brain mass conserves precious calories for wing muscles. Evolution has thus favored a leaner neural architecture, allowing these travelers to allocate more energy to sustained flight rather than intensive cognition.

While it might sound counterintuitive, this adaptation showcases nature’s knack for optimizing resources: less brain, more stamina, and an impressive ability to navigate across continents with minimal energy waste.

When you think of birds, you probably picture gentle cooing pigeons or bright‑colored parrots perched on a windowsill. Yet history reminds us that feathered creatures can sometimes turn deadly. In this roundup of the top 10 deaths caused by birds, we travel from an ostrich‑induced neck break in Washington to a cassowary’s lethal strike in Florida. Buckle up for a wild ride through some of the most bizarre and tragic avian encounters ever recorded.

Top 10 Deaths Overview

10 Washington Man Killed by Ostrich

Ostriches carry the stereotype of “head‑in‑the‑sand” cowardice, yet when they feel threatened they can unleash terrifying power. In June 1999, Linda Carter discovered her 81‑year‑old father, Fred Parker, lifeless inside an ostrich enclosure on her exotic‑animal farm near Seattle, Washington. Parker, who reportedly dreaded ostriches, had taken on the weekend task of feeding his daughter’s assortment of ostriches, emus, llamas, and pot‑bellied pigs while living in a trailer on the property.

Carter explained that the birds were normally fed by tossing feed over the fence, so she could not fathom why her father would wander into the pen named “King Tut.” The massive 400‑pound bird delivered a crushing stomp or kick that snapped Parker’s neck. Medical experts also suspect his pre‑existing heart condition may have played a role in his sudden demise.

Just a year before, the same ostrich had kicked Carter herself, sending her soaring more than three meters (about ten feet). Despite the tragedy, she remains devoted to her ostrich business, insisting, “I have no intentions right now of destroying my ostrich because of my father’s death. The ostrich was protecting his domain. It’s just like any wild animal. You don’t go in a bear’s pen; you don’t go in an ostrich’s pen.”

9 Ethiopian Child Killed by Martial Eagle

In a remote town of Ethiopia’s Somali region, a terrifying martial eagle launched a series of attacks that left the community in shock. Residents quickly concluded that a single, rogue bird was responsible for the assaults. In September 2019, at least three children fell victim to the eagle’s vicious claws and beak.

One mother recounted hearing her son’s scream, racing outdoors, and seeing the massive raptor clutching her child on the ground, biting fiercely. She threw a stick at the bird, an act that likely saved her son’s life. Unfortunately, another child was not as fortunate and was clawed to death.

Local authorities responded with shoot‑to‑kill orders, hunting the aggressive eagle. Researchers believe the bird mistakenly identified the children as its usual prey, leading to the tragic series of attacks.

8 Hominid Child Killed by Crowned Hawk‑Eagle

The famous Taung child, a hominid skull unearthed in South Africa in 1924, was long thought to have met its end at the paws of a leopard or saber‑toothed tiger. However, in January 2006, Johannesburg paleoanthropologist Lee Berger presented a startling new hypothesis: the child fell prey to a large bird of prey, most likely a crowned hawk‑eagle, which today still hunts small primates across Africa.

Berger’s analysis highlighted distinctive puncture marks at the base of the eye sockets—damage that aligns with talon and beak strikes typical of eagle predation, not the crushing bite of big cats. These marks, he argued, were the tell‑tale signatures of an eagle’s lethal grip.

The study reshaped our understanding of early hominin mortality, showing that birds of prey have been silent but deadly participants in human evolution for millions of years.

7 Australian Woman Killed by Chicken

In August 2019, a 76‑year‑old Australian woman was gathering eggs on her rural property when a rooster delivered a fatal blow. The bird’s beak pierced a varicose vein, causing massive hemorrhaging that led to rapid blood loss. The victim also suffered from hypertension and type II diabetes, which compounded the tragedy.

Forensic experts noted that even modest domestic animals can inflict lethal injuries when underlying vascular vulnerabilities exist. The incident underscores how age‑related health issues can turn a seemingly innocuous encounter with a farm bird into a deadly event.

The case was documented in the Journal of Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology, highlighting the need for heightened awareness of such hidden risks, especially among the elderly.

6 Australian Baby Dies During Magpie Attack

August 2021 brought a heartbreaking incident in Australia: a mother holding her five‑month‑old daughter was ambushed by a swooping magpie. While trying to dodge the bird’s aggressive dive‑bomb, the mother lost her footing, fell, and the infant sustained fatal head injuries.

Magpies, measuring about 40 cm (15 in) in length, become fiercely territorial during their July‑to‑December breeding season. Their sharp, black‑and‑white beaks are used to defend nests, and the species is protected by law, making it illegal to kill or remove their chicks or eggs.

Queensland’s “Magpie Alert” logged 1,231 swoops in 2020 alone, with thousands more reported nationwide. Statistics show that more than one in ten people who encounter swooping magpies suffer injuries, ranging from near‑blinded eyes to fatal accidents, emphasizing the bird’s unexpected danger.

5 Tragedian Playwright Killed by a Carrion Bird’s Prey

In 455 BC, the celebrated Greek tragedian Aeschylus met an unusual end when a soaring carrion bird dropped its tortoise dinner onto his head. The bird—likely an eagle or a lammergeier vulture—mistook his bald scalp for a solid surface suitable for shattering the reptile’s shell.

Lammergeiers are known for lifting large bones and tortoise shells high into the sky, then releasing them onto rocks to crack them open and access the marrow inside. In Aeschylus’s case, the bird’s miscalculation proved fatal.

Ironically, Roman author Pliny the Elder recorded that Aeschylus had deliberately spent time outdoors to evade a prophecy foretelling his death by a falling object, only to be undone by a bird‑delivered projectile.

4 UK Man Killed by Pigeon Dust

Pigeons have long sparked mixed feelings—some see them as “rats with wings,” while others cherish them as symbols of peace. For nearly 80 years, Bill Brailsford was a champion pigeon fancier in Derby, England, maintaining flocks that sometimes numbered 170 birds.

In September 2010, the 91‑year‑old breeder succumbed to extrinsic allergic alveolitis, a lung disorder caused by chronic inhalation of organic dust from pigeon droppings and feed. The condition, essentially a hypersensitivity pneumonitis, led to his untimely death.

His grandson blamed the toxic dust, stating, “Pigeons were my granddad’s life; now he has been killed by them.” He warned fellow fanciers to wear masks and limit flock sizes, noting the coroner’s verdict that the death was accidental and directly linked to pigeon‑related dust exposure.

3 Detroit Man Killed by Turkey

April 2019 saw a bizarre fatality in Detroit when a 70‑year‑old motorcyclist was struck by a wild turkey. While riding, several turkeys crossed his path; one took flight and collided with his chest, causing him to lose control of his bike.

The sudden impact forced the rider into a guardrail, severing his leg below the knee. He was rushed to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.

Spring marks the breeding season for wild turkeys in the U.S. Midwest, a period when the birds can become unusually aggressive, occasionally charging or threatening humans, which likely contributed to this tragic encounter.

2 Indian Man Killed by Cockerel

In February 2021, a 45‑year‑old Indian man named Thanugula Satish lost his life during an illegal cockfight in southern India. The rooster he owned had a razor‑sharp 7‑centimeter (3‑inch) blade—known locally as a “kodi kathi”—attached to its leg. When the bird tried to escape the fight, it impaled Satish in the groin, causing fatal blood loss before he could reach a hospital.

Authorities launched an investigation, seeking the dozen participants involved. They faced charges of manslaughter, illegal cockfighting, and betting. The blade‑armed rooster was later transferred to a farm, destined to serve as evidence in the upcoming trial.

Similar tragedies have occurred: in January 2020, a 55‑year‑old Indian man died after his rooster’s blade sliced his throat, and in October 2020, a Philippine police lieutenant succumbed to a femoral‑artery wound inflicted by a fighting rooster’s blade.

1 Florida Man Killed by Cassowary

If there’s any doubt that birds are living dinosaurs, the cassowary settles it. Native to Papua New Guinea and Australia, the cassowary is often dubbed the world’s most dangerous bird. Smithsonian Magazine describes it as a nightmarish blend of ostrich, turkey, and velociraptor, standing up to six feet tall and weighing around 150 pounds.

Its most lethal weapon is a 5‑inch (12.7 cm) claw on each three‑toed foot, comparable to a railway spike. When provoked, a cassowary can slash a human with such force that it disembowels the victim instantly.

In April 2019, 75‑year‑old Marvin Hajos, a Florida resident who raised cassowaries, fell between two pens. Either startled or given a chance to strike, a cassowary attacked him through the fence, delivering fatal trauma. The medical examiner noted the severity, stating, “I know ostriches and emus have their moments, but cassowaries are an extremely, extremely dangerous bird. You don’t want to fool around with them. They have no sense of humor.”

While cassowaries are farmed for meat in New Guinea, in the U.S. they are primarily kept by hobbyists. After Hajos’s death, the offending bird was auctioned alongside a hundred other exotic animals from the Florida property.

Since the very earliest days of aviation, birds have posed a threat to aircraft. The idea that a small, winged animal could bring down a massive plane seems surprising, but such accidents have caused numerous near-misses as well as devastating crashes and deaths.

In 1905, Wilbur Wright—one of the two famous pioneering aviator brothers—wrote in his journal, “Twice passed over fences into Bread’s cornfield. Chased flocks of birds on two rounds and killed one which fell on top of upper surface and after a time fell off when swinging a sharp curve.” The plane didn’t crash, and no people were injured, but that would soon change.
https://wrightstories.com/bird-strikes/

Here are ten of the most infamous bird-related air disasters

10 Miracle on the Hudson

The most famous bird-strike incident in recent years has to be US Airways flight 1549. Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was at the controls of the Airbus 320 when it took off from LaGuardia Airport on January 15, 2009. With five crew members and 150 passengers on board, the flight heading to Charlotte, North Carolina, should have been a routine one. But minutes after takeoff, the plane ran directly into a flock of Canadian geese.

The sometimes-migratory Canadian goose can be a large bird, with heights ranging from up to 48 inches (122 centimeters) and weights up to 24 pounds (11 kilograms). One large goose hitting a plane could be dangerous, but a whole flock of them was enough to damage both engines of the huge airliner. Unable to restart the engines, Captain Sullenberger made the decision to set the plane down on the Hudson River. And less than five minutes after the strike, he landed on the water, saving the lives of all 155 people aboard.

The air disaster captivated the world, and the story was eventually made into a major motion picture, Sully, starring Tom Hanks. ^[1]

9 Losing Three Engines

Unfortunately, the passengers and crew of Eastern Airlines flight 375 weren’t as lucky. On October 4, 1960, the Lockheed L188A Electra took off from Logan Airport. Within moments, the plane flew into a flock of starlings. Although starlings are fairly small birds, weighing in at only a mere 3.5 ounces (100 grams), they do flock in huge numbers, sometimes 100,000 birds at a time.

When the plane hit the flock, a number of birds were sucked into engines 1, 2, and 4. Then, with a sudden and disastrous loss of power, the plane rolled and plunged into Winthrop Bay. Sixty-two people died in the crash, and the airplane was completely destroyed. During the investigation, 75 starling carcasses were found on the runway.

Imagine such tiny birds causing the deadliest bird-strike airplane crash in history!^[2]

8 A Flock of Gulls

Captain Sullenberger wasn’t the only hero pilot who saved the lives of his passengers and crew after a bird strike. On August 15, 2019, a Ural Airlines Airbus A321 taking off from Moscow’s Zhukovsky Airport collided with a flock of gulls. The flight’s captain, Damir Yusupov, was able to land the plane in a nearby cornfield, saving the lives of everyone on board. Although there were a reported seventy injuries, only one was serious enough to require hospitalization. Yusupov was praised as a hero, and images of grateful survivors standing in a cornfield brought to mind the survivors of flight 1549 standing on the watery wings in the Hudson.

Because of the crash, officials investigated the presence of birds and discovered them flocking around two nearby illegal landfills.^[3]

7 Gear up for Landing

On Thursday, September 15, 1988, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-260 struck a flock of pigeons. When the plane was about 100 to 200 feet (30 to 60 meters) above the ground, it lost power, and the engines began backfiring. Able to gain some altitude, the pilot turned away from nearby Lake Tana to return to the runway. During the return, both engines failed. The captain still tried to perform a gear-up landing, but when the 737 touched down, it broke apart and erupted in fire.

Initial reports said 31 of the 102 people on board died in the crash but warned there could be more deaths as two people could not be found. The final death toll was put at 35.^[4]

6 Beware the Whistling Swans

Pigeons, starlings, gulls, and geese aren’t the only birds to have caused crashes. In 1962, it was a flock of swans. On Friday, November 23, 1962, a Vickers 745D Viscount airplane, United Airlines flight 297, took off from Newark, heading to Washington, D.C. During the flight, it ran into a flock of whistling swans. Although whistlers are typically the smallest type of swans, they do have an average weight of 16 pounds (7.25 kilograms)—enough to bring down a commercial airplane.

During the flight, at least two birds struck the plane, one of them hitting a stabilizer. The structure was so weakened that the plane became uncontrollable. It crashed to the ground from approximately 6,000 feet, killing all 17 people aboard.^[5]

5 The Birdman Meets His Fate

The very first recorded death caused by a bird strike occurred in 1912. Calbraith Perry Rodgers became the 49th licensed aviator in the world after practicing flight for only one month. Learning of a $50,000 prize being offered by publisher William Randolph Hearst to the first person to fly from coast to coast in under 30 days, Rodgers purchased a 35-horsepower Model EX biplane from the Wright Company.

From the start, Rodgers’s journey was fraught with problems. Being partially deaf, having no navigation tools, and flying a plane Oliver Wright claimed wasn’t up to the trip resulted in numerous hard landings, engine failures, and even crashes. Rodgers realized he would never be able to make the trip in 30 days but was determined to finish anyway, and on December 10, 1911, he did exactly that. His national celebrity didn’t last for long. Just a few months later, on April 3, 1912, while performing at an air show in California, his plane flew into a flock of birds and crashed before a crowd of hundreds. The popular aviator, interestingly called “The Birdman,” was killed on impact.^[6]

4# Thunderbirds Lose Support Crew

Created in 1953, The Thunderbirds precision flying group was formed as the U.S. Air Force’s official demonstration team. Their exciting performances still provide thrills to audiences worldwide. But in 1958, the USAF mourned the loss of some of their own.

On Thursday, October 9, 1958, a Fairchild C-123B Provider was carrying a team of supporters for the Thunderbird flyers when it flew into a formation of geese. The aircraft crashed near Payette, Idaho, killing all 19 aboard.

A monument to the crew still stands in Payette, and a ceremony was held in 2018 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the tragedy.^[7]

3 Cockpit Takeover

It isn’t just engines that can be damaged when planes and birds collide. Sometimes, an injury to the crew can have catastrophic consequences. On Wednesday, December 10, 1969, an Ilyushin IL-14P plane operated by Aeroflot/Georgia crashed about four minutes after takeoff. All 17 people aboard died in the crash, which occurred at about 1150 feet (350 meters) over the sea about 2.2 miles (3.5 kilometers) from Makhachkala, Russia.

According to subsequent reports, the cause of the crash was said to be a collision between the plane and a large flock of birds that destroyed the cockpit, not the engine. The report also mentions possible injuries to the crew and the involuntary descent of the aircraft.^[8]

2 Geese Problems

Planes are not the only airborne vehicles affected by bird strikes. On November 19, 2017, air ambulance Bell 407 N620PA was downed when the helicopter collided with a flock of geese. The pilot and two others on board were killed in the crash near Stuttgart, Arkansas.

After the crash, twelve bags of feathers and bird remains were recovered from the crash site and examined by the Smithsonian Institute. Their investigation concluded the remains were snow geese. The white feathers of the geese were actually found embedded in the pilot’s clothing and boot.^[9]

1 Red Hawk Down

Sometimes, it doesn’t even take an entire flock to bring down an aircraft. The deadly crash of a Marine helicopter at Camp Pendleton in 2011 was surprisingly caused by one single bird.

On September 19, 2012, the AH-1W Cobra twin-engine attack helicopter collided with a red-tailed hawk, one of the largest birds in North America. Investigators say the female hawk, weighing about 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms), with up to a 4-foot (1.2-meter) wingspan, struck the helicopter. Within one minute of impact, the rotor and top of the transmission separated from the vehicle. The helicopter broke apart and crashed to the ground, killing both Marine pilots on board. The crash also caused a 120-acre brush fire that had to be put out by other planes and helicopters dumping tons of fire retardant in the area.^[10]

Throughout history, birds have been symbols of our highest ideals. From songbirds to soaring eagles, they embody the beauty of nature, the devotion of parents, the freedom of the spirit… But are they really so aloof from our mucky, ground-bound ways?

Here are 10 birds with a surprisingly horrifying dark side.

10. Parasitic Jaeger

With its sharp wings and dark feathers, the parasitic jaeger (German for “hunter”) looks like an evil seagull. It acts like one too. The ‘parasitic’ part of its name refers to a habit of stealing food from other birds in mid-air. 

Chasing them down and snatching their prey, this bird is a “swashbuckling” pirate. In fact, like pirates, it spends most of its life out at sea – often over turbulent patches – “harrying other seabirds … attacking in groups, until they give up their catch.” It only comes ashore to have sex. In Europe it’s known as the Arctic skua for breeding on the tundras of the north. But even then it’s a menace, eating other birds and their eggs.

Plus it sounds like a crying baby.

9. Pelican

With their duck feet, flamingo heads, and symbolic association with selflessness, pelicans have a place in our heart. It may even have been the pelican, not the stork, that delivered our babies in folklore. They’ve certainly got the beak for it. 

Really, though, you should never leave your baby with a pelican – or anything else you love for that matter. When stressed or hungry, it snaps at all sorts and swallows other creatures indiscriminately. Goslings, baby penguins, ducks, pigeons, baby turtles, and chihuahuas have all fallen prey to the pelican. 

Once scooped up in the pelican’s bill, its prey sinks down the throat still alive. If the pelican’s hungry, it’ll go to the stomach; if not, it’ll go to the crop. This is the pelican’s food storage sac, where in the absence of enzymes mucus helps soften the prey.

8. Cassowary

Without this colorful flightless bird, some Australian plants wouldn’t grow. A number of seeds – too large for other frugivores to swallow – can only sprout once they’ve passed through the cassowary’s digestive tract. So that’s one thing in its favor.

However, the cassowary is also the most dangerous bird in the world. With a 4-inch dagger-like claw on each foot, it can “slice open any … potential threat with a single swift kick.” Add to that a running speed of up to 50 kilometers per hour, and a vertical jump height of nearly seven feet, and it’s frighteningly reminiscent of velociraptors. They even frighten each other. Mostly solitary, cassowaries are rarely affectionate when they meet. Males are quick to intimidate each other, while females make them flee with just a look. When they do communicate, though, its by ultra low frequency booms – the rumble of which we can feel in our bones.

Unsurprisingly, the cassowary has on occasion killed humans. Usually, they charge, kick, or jump on their victims but may also peck or head-butt, causing “puncture wounds, lacerations and bone fractures.” It’s no good hiding indoors; cassowaries are also known to kick and peck at doors and windows, sometimes breaking through glass. Interestingly, though, this is thought to be a pre-emptive strike on their reflection. Apparently cassowaries are so scary, they’re even scared of themselves.

7. Shoebill

The prehistoric-looking shoebill has long impressed humans. Not only did it feature in ancient Egyptian art, it continues to inspire today: the shoebill was the inspiration for Princess Zelda’s Loftwing or Guardian Bird in The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Over a meter tall with an eight-foot wingspan, the shoebill is a formidable hunter – preying on giant fish, snakes, baby crocodiles, and even Nile monitor lizards. Its most striking feature (literally) is its curving, clog-like beak, for which the Arabs called it abu markhub (“father of the slipper”). And while it may look like it’s smiling, that bill is a powerful weapon, clamping down and decapitating prey. It even sounds deadly to us – like a machine gun when it’s greeting other shoebills.

It’s not as a hunter that this bird shows its dark side, though; it’s back at the nest as a fledgling. There’s some heartbreaking footage in David Attenborough’s Africa: when a shoebill mother leaves her nest to fetch water, the older of her chicks bullies the other, viciously pulling and pecking at its down feathers. Already weak, the younger fledgling struggles to support its own weight. And when the mother returns and sees what has happened, she pragmatically favors the bully, neglecting the victim entirely. This may explain why it’s rare for more than one shoebill chick to survive.

6. Cuckoo

The call of the cuckoo is the first sign of spring, but birds have reason to fear it – even if they don’t always know. As brood parasites, cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests for host birds to raise as their own. It certainly saves on energy. Some even drop their eggs to a nest from the air – their thick shells, like bombs, breaking the hosts’ eggs on impact. 

But while it may look slapdash, the cuckoo’s approach is actually carefully planned. Nests aren’t picked at random; cuckoos stake them out in advance. Hiding in the shadows, they watch the hosts’ movements to synchronize their egg-laying and time their infiltration. Then, while the females sneak in, the males (which in some species resemble hawks) may provide a distraction, luring host birds away for a fight.

Neither does cuckoo parenting end there; they’ve been found to check up on their young. In fact, the great spotted cuckoo not only returns to check on its nestlings, it punishes birds that reject them – usually by killing their chicks. This mafia-style “protection racket” isn’t always necessary, though. While not directly raised by their parents, cuckoo hatchlings take after them: hatching earlier and stronger than their parasitized nest mates, they literally kick them out.

5. Reed Warbler

Beloved songbirds in Europe, warblers are an easy mark for cuckoos. Not only is a warbler mother unlikely to notice imposters, she’ll continue feeding even when they reach twice her size. Better still, she doesn’t seem to notice when they push her other eggs from the nest. This isn’t to say reed warblers are selfless or naive, however; they have a sly parenting strategy of their own.

Because male reed warblers only ever provide for one nest – even while they may have sired many – females of “low harem rank” destroy the eggs of their rivals. Researchers observed this behavior by filling artificial nests with plasticine eggs and matching the peckmarks to the warbler. Basically, when a mistress wipes out the first wife’s children, she moves up in line for support.

Newcomer single-parent females also try to gain from the kills. By building their nests close to a site of infanticide, they’re more likely to snap up the male.

4. Shrike

With its small stature, raccoon mask and high-pitched squeaky call, the shrike is undeniably cute. But it’s also a bird of prey – and a psychopath. You may have seen insects – beetles, for instance – impaled on a barb wire fence. It’s not an uncommon sight. It’s actually a sure sign a shrike is nearby (either that or a psychopath child). 

As a way of attracting mates, the shrike spikes insects, amphibians, lizards, small mammals, and even birds on fences or thorny trees and cacti. It’s also a way to store food – especially when it’s poisonous, giving time for the toxins to fade. Unlike other birds of prey, shrikes lack talons. So they rely on their hooked little beaks to fly prey to the spikes for impaling. In other words, prey can stay alive for some time in the shrike’s “pantry” or “larder” as it’s called – even while it’s slowly picked apart. 

Speaking of psychopathic children, shrikes learn this trick pretty young. Juveniles can be seen practicing with leaves, impaling them on branches near their nest.

3. Kea

This strikingly beautiful mountain parrot is a national treasure in New Zealand, featuring on bank notes, in novels, and old Maori myth. In the Scouts of New Zealand, ‘kea’ is also the name for a 5-8 year old member. It’s also a national pest.

Standing on the backs of sheep, the kea devours them alive – ripping out their loins with their beaks. One farmer in 2009 claimed to have lost up to 30 sheep in two months to “kea strikes.” In one grisly instance, he found the “entire intestinal cavity open.”

It’s a conundrum for New Zealanders. On the one hand, the bird is protected in the highest category of wildlife conservation. On the other, lamb is a primary export. The government’s current solution is to issue case-by-case permits to shoot keas – but they have to be “caught in the act.”

2. Black Vulture

Gathering like witches at derelict buildings, black vultures stalk turkey vultures to steal their food – hissing at them to scare them away. However, their real calling lies elsewhere. The species is notorious among Kentucky farmers for preying on livestock and pets. Apparently, “they like to play with the newborns … they’ll hop around and get the calf comfortable … before they peck out their eyes” – “then the tongue, then every last shred of flesh.” It’s over in minutes.

They’ve also been known to attack pregnant ewes – right as they’re giving birth, surgically skinning the mother to feast on her flesh and the lamb.

As with keas, there’s not a lot farmers can do. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits harming them without federal permission. Of course, like any species, they’re not entirely without merit (they’re great for clearing up roadkill), but it’s hard not to see them as evil.

1. Duck

Who doesn’t like ducks, with their innocent quacks and frequently colorful plumage? We’ll tell you: people who know their dark secret.

Male ducks (drakes) are among the three percent of birds with a penis – and of these they’re the best endowed. In fact, relative to body size, they’re the best endowed of any vertebrate. The Argentinian lake duck’s, for example, is four inches longer than its body. Even more uniquely, ducks’ penises are corkscrewed – like pigs’ tails with up to ten turns. And, “like a selection of sex toys from a vending machine in a strange alien bar,” they come in ribbed, ridged, and even toothy varieties.” 

Nothing wrong with that, you might say, except none of this evolved “for her pleasure.” It’s actually to stop her escaping. Because males outnumber females in most duck species, many drakes just can’t attract a mate. So instead they resort to violent, often deadly gang rape. This behavior is so ingrained in ducks that the penis has evolved to hook into the vagina. And, like a “sexual arms race,” the vagina has evolved its own defenses. For example, it may spiral in the opposite direction to the penis or feature “dead-end side pockets or cul-de-sacs” to capture unwanted sperm. Calling to mind the vagina dentata of folklore, some also have sharp turns or “teeth.”