Mail delivery was temporarily stopped in a Texas neighborhood after nesting hawks began attacking people to protect their young.
The hawks’ actions have become so extreme that the United States Postal Service paused delivery. Residents of the Travis Heights neighborhood were forced to pick up their mail at a local post office location.
Local resident Eric Klein told KVUE that this isn’t the first time the hawks in the area have been aggressive with people. “Since April, I literally can’t walk outside without having it sweep past me or hit me,” he told the outlet, noting it feels like being hit with a fist-size rock.
Executive Director Nicole Netherton of Travis Audobon, a nonprofit that protects native habitats for birds and other animals, said the birds become territorial during nesting season, which runs from April to July. State and federal laws protect hawks, so they cannot be killed, picked up, or taken from the nest.
“I know it’s frustrating to feel like you have this hawk that’s really mad at you, but as soon as those babies leave the nest, they will calm down,” Netherton said.
If there’s no way to avoid the hawks’ nests, Netherton advises carrying an umbrella to avoid being attacked.
Luckily, mail delivery resumed on Wednesday after the birds flew away and the coast was clear.
