It's that time of year in Toronto where the first buds have begun bloom, the temperatures are warming up and the birds are... dive-bombing people's heads?

As sure as the sight of as nesting robins and tulips sprouting, the return of the frightening and aggressive (though, admittedly beautiful) red-winged blackbird is a harbringer of springtime in Toronto.

Frequenting wetlands, marshes and wooded areas, it's common to have an encounter with these sky demons in many of the city's green areas. I, myself, have found myself a victim in the Beaches' Woodbine Park and while trapped in the William Meany Maze on the Islands.

I'm not alone: in a recent post to a Liberty Village community Facebook group where one resident warns of hearing the cry of a red-winged blackbird in the neighbourhood, other members of the community were quick to share their own comments about the winged beasts.

"Oh my god I can't wait," one person writes. "I got attacked by one and it was awesome."

"Cry? More like battle charge," another person writes.

Luckily for those of us living in fear of potential bird-based airstrikes, we've got a little bit of time before we need to start walking around with eyes on the skies.

Red-winged blackbirds aren't aggressive by nature, but are extremely protective of their young, which is what leads them to swoop at potential threats, so Toronto residents have until roughly May to prepare.

Though the birds don't typically do much damage (though they have been known to leave a mark), you can avoid a potential attack by giving a wide berth to nests, which are typically found in trees by bodies of water, and protect yourself by wearing a hat where the birds might be present.