Massachusetts Town Under Attack… by a Woodpecker

Rockport, Massachusetts has a bit of a weird problem lately — and no, it’s not tourists in socks and sandals. It’s a rogue woodpecker on a full-blown rampage against parked cars. According to NBC's TODAY show, one very determined pileated woodpecker (those big crow-sized ones with the bright red mohawk) has been going to town on windshields and side mirrors, damaging more than 25 vehicles.

Local resident Janelle Favaloro even snapped a picture of the feathered vandal mid-crime. She described him as "18 to 24 inches tall, wearing black and white with a red hat".

Apparently, the bird isn’t attacking cars because he hates your Subaru — it's breeding season. Also according to Today, Ron Magill from Zoo Miami explained that male birds get super aggressive this time of year. Yes, apparently those pent up hormones make them act in a way that they might not normally. They sometimes also mistake their own reflection for a rival. Instead of throwing punches, though, they throw beak jabs at your vehicle.

Pileated woodpeckers are known for their bright red crests and their habit of making a ton of noise, but property destruction is a new skill set. They are basically the rockstars of the bird world — big, loud, and rocking a bright red mohawk you can spot from a mile away.

They’re one of the largest woodpecker species in North America, about the size of a crow, and they spend their days hammering away at dead trees (and apparently cars, if the mood strikes) looking for insects like carpenter ants.  Even though they look a little intense, they're actually pretty shy around people — unless, of course, they're in full mating-season mode and mistake their own reflection for an enemy.

So if you’re heading to Rockport anytime soon and come back to find your side mirror shattered, there’s a good chance you’ve been introduced to the local troublemaker — the pileated woodpecker, or as the Today Show calls it, "nature’s jackhammer."