The new images on the front page were sent to us from Chris Carson, a photographer who took part in the bird stunt downtown yesterday. He has more photos and information posted on his webiste.
Amidst the Avian Emergency downtown yesterday, the threat level reached Yellow, as Big Bird (played by Ivan Spaller of Floribunda) and a Hazmat worker (played by Kevin Witt of Three Jazz Collective) re-created the Terror on Congress. Carson was on hand directing the two costumed rapscallions as they took their performance art to the middle of the avenue. Still no word as to what led to the mass death of the birds, but it apparently cost downtown businesses thousands. While the incident seemed to be something taken directly from a horror movie, Adolfo Valadez, medical director of the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Division, said, "Such bird die-offs are fairly common. I think we tend to lose sight of that, living in an urban environment."
Test will be done on the birds to determine the cause. Similar incidents in the past have been linked to poisoned bird feed. While we have absolutely no idea what could have led to these particular deaths, the scuttlebutt is that it could have something to do with a certain restaurant near Congress and 8th St. that has had a horrible time keeping the birds and their poop off of customers. Somebody get Earl Warren on the phone, stat!
Additional photos courtesy Brett Buchanan after the jump.
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i heart that headline. it makes me giggle.
I hope this doesn't start a precedent of killing organisms that debase the environment.
A neighbor just walked by and saw a large yellow big bird head in my living room. He told me he rcognized it from a post on Austinist.
Funny headline and write-up! Check out my bird scare "performance art" photos at:
http://chriscarsonphoto.blogspot.com/
In regards to the "certain restaurant near 8th and congress" - I met a longtime austin resident who is a friend with the (previous) owner who said that owner in fact liked the birds and considered them part of the charm. The new owners on the other hand may not share the same sentiment and might have seen the birds more as a nuisance than a novelty. The mystery continues...
you mean hickory street bar & grill? let's not beat around the bush here. goofy performance art aside, i trust that the individual will be prosecuted. it's pretty stupid that whatever idiot was behind this thinks they could put a dent in austin's bird population... and thinks they are a nuisance. ha!! as if we humans aren't a nuisance.
if the owner of this restaurant turns out to be the killer in question.. i will definitely never go there.
Is that notorious bird blaster Dick Cheney in the background of the first pic? Hmmm..., the plot thickens like the pollo asada at Las Manitas.