Crows dive-bomb downtown St. John's pedestrians

For the second year in a row, some particularly assertive crows have made an area of downtown St. John's a tricky place to walk.

Crows have had such a strong presence near the Anglican Cathedral that church officials posted a sign warning pedestrians of a sudden attack.

Helen Mackey, who works at a nearby law office and uses the church parking lot every day, said she chuckled when she saw the warning — but not after a crow swooped in and hit her.  

"The crow just came out of nowhere and he hit me in the back on the head first," said Helen Mackey, who works at a nearby law office.

"Then he grabbed into my head and he started going for this earring … and then he just kept hitting me with his wings and he wouldn't get off."

Mackey was left with only a few scratches.

Mackey believes the crows are being protective of their nest and that city staff should step in to transport it to another location.

A similar scenario played out last summer, when pedestrians reported being struck by dive-bombing crows.