The Tough Pitirre Bird of Puerto Rico Is Bossing Me Around

The Pitirre birds of Puerto Rico arrived a few weeks ago and built a nest on a pole right above my apartment’s generator, my garbage cans, and the recycling. Life has not been the same since they showed up.

These birds are known to attack people from behind if they think you are going to threaten their nest. When I noticed their nest, the birds, also known as Gray Kingbirds, had newborn Pitirres inside.

Every time I would go and take out the garbage or the recycling, it became an adventure. One of the Pitirres would fly around maybe 20 feet from me and sometimes did guard duty perched on a utility wire above me, and a few feet away from the nest.

I would sprint to the garbage to throw in my trash before the Pitirre attacked.

These are tough, little birds. Some people felt they should be named the national bird of Puerto Rico. But that’s the Spindalis. The Spindalis attack in groups.

So my ultimate respect is for the Pitirre, which attacks by itself. I watch them dive-bombing around the neighborhood, down into the surrounding valleys, looking for food.

See, I’m not wrong about the Pitirre. The U.S. Forest Service said:  “During the breeding season the Kingbird is very aggressive towards neighboring pairs and predators such as hawks, cats or even humans.”

Emphasis on humans, as far as I’m concerned.

One of the maintenance workers at my apartment laughed about my fear of the Pitirre but admitted: “They do attack.”

And whenever she walked by their nest she’d do so hurriedly. Sometimes she’d duck and shield the back of her head — just in case.

It is apparently mating season, after all, when they are most aggressive.

The now-mostly abandoned Pitirre nest above my garbage cans.

Above was the scene of the crime(s). Haha.

Even when there was no Pitirre in sight, I would walk out in the street as far away from their nest as possible and make a dash toward our bright orange municipal garbage cans so as not to attract them and to make my getaway unharmed. But inevitably, a Pitirre would show up out of nowhere and perch menacingly nearby and overhead.

I began to take out my garbage much less frequently.

Alas, I went away traveling for a few days, and when I returned the Pitirres had abandoned the nest over my garbage cans.

Big sigh of relief because I could take out the garbage in peace again.

I guess this is what happens when a city boy — namely a native New Yorker — moves to the mountains of Puerto Rico.

However, I soon discovered the Piterres had merely relocated and built a new nest. It’s across the street from my driveway on a utility pole. Perhaps the noise of the generator near their original nest scared them away. Puerto Rico’s electricity grid is a horror, and perhaps the generator kicked in numerous times for blackouts while I was away.

But they are a safe distance away now — mostly.

I don’t come close enough to them now in their new nest to bother them.

However, this morning I saw one of the Pitirres visiting the old nest above the garbage cans. And as I was 20 yards away, the Pitirre took its usual spot on the wire near the original nest. I didn’t go near the Pitirre. It was sort of a standoff. But the Pitirre wins every time.

I didn’t go closer.

The Pitirre is native to Puerto Rico and can also be found in the U.S. southeast, the Caribbean, Colombia and Venezuela.

Everything is ultimately about politics, though, right? Even the Pitirre, in my warped mind.

The cynical part of me thinks that the Pitirre moved to the nest above my garbage cans because I am an American  who moved to Puerto Rico, established residency here, and have the right to vote in Puerto Rico.

I love Puerto Rico and have been coming here since the 1980s. I think Puerto Ricans have the right to self-determination regarding decolonization.

However, some Americans, including the crypto crowd and Airbnb real estate speculators, move to Puerto Rico, get all kinds of tax benefits that Puerto Ricans don’t have, and behave badly. There’s plenty of resentment here for the interlopers.

I like to think there is a difference between them and me, but perhaps I’m just deluding myself.

Maybe the Pitirres arrived to give me a hard time because they know I moved to Puerto Rico from New Jersey. Maybe they have a valid point.