Birds

Man hawking straw hats: Hats, 10 dollars! Two for 15!
Man walking by: 10 dollars! For 10 dollars, there should be a feather.
Man hawking straw hats: You want a feather? Catch a bird!

–Bleecker & Thompson

Overheard by: meli$$a

Park Slope mom #1: I’m going to be honest. We have night birds near my house.
Park Slope mom #2: Oh my god! Us too! I tried to report it!
Park Slope mom #1: Why are these birds chirping at night? Don’t they need to sleep?

–Park Slope

Overheard by: D‑Law

Woman to teen skater punks splashing in fountain: You know there’s birdshit in that, right?
Lead teen skater punk: We’re not drinking it!

–55th St Water Fountain

Overheard by: A little purel never hurt

Truly urban son: Look, mom, an eagle!
Mom: No, Gabe, it’s just a pigeon.

–The Bronx

Overheard by: Natasha

Headline by: Brian

Runners‐Up:
· “But It’s a Bronx Pigeon, So It Acts Like an Eagle” — PeterG
· “Kudos to the Science Teachers at P.S. 51” — Los
· “The Cash‐Strapped Bronx Zoo Wasn’t Fooling Anyone” — Coyoty
· “The True Symbol Of America” — BabakganoosH
· “This Is the Bronx, Let Him Dream…” — Lacey

Click here to see the new Headline Contest

Evangelist outside gym: You want to be a macho man? Look at Jesus!

–Broadway & Prince

Street evangelist on microphone: Y’all ever see two female pigeons in bed together?

–Fordham Plaza

Very agitated priest: Jesus was a zygote once – what if Mary aborted him?

–St. Luke’s Church, Whitestone

Crazy subway evangelist: If god could make me a good crackhead, you best believe he could make me a good preacher.

–E Train

Overheard by: Giggling at crack

Preacher: And that’s why your religion is null and void.

–Union Square

Overheard by: Alfie

(a pigeon flies up to a rambling bike messenger)
Bike messenger: Hey, bird. Whadda ya say? How you doing? You play baseball? What position? First base? Third? Catcher?

–47th & Madison

Ditzy teen on cell: Why can’t they, like, have two footballs instead so both teams could score?

–Doctor’s Office, Brooklyn

Overheard by: Robert Gleyberman

Professor: Did I tell you guys I’m getting into professional wrestling?

–Fordham University, Lincoln Center

Overheard by: Didn’t want the details

Guy to another, screaming at the top of his lungs: It’s fucking field hockey! It’s a girl’s sport! Why are you even on the team?! You make me sick!

–Columbia University

Overheard by: Scott Jurkowski

Train conductor, announcing stop: Willets point, Shea Stadium…home of that *other* team.

–Willets Point, Queens

Overheard by: Random Asian Chick

Mom #1, noting a pigeon: Cute bird!
Boy: Hm. Birds.
Mom #2: We, for instance, eat birds. What kind of birds do we eat?
Boy: Quail!

–5th Ave, Park Slope

Girl, looking at friend’s cell phone: What is that?
Friend: A baby!
Girl: Oh, I thought it was chicken. It looks like a barbecued chicken.

–4 Train

Flight attendant to woman who has just placed her bird on her arm before take off: Ma’am, I’m going to need you to secure that bird before we begin taxiing.
Bird lady: But it is secure. Aren’t you, peaches? You like it out here, don’t you?
Flight attendant: Please just secure the bird, ma’am.

–Runway, JFK

Overheard by: escaping to vegas

Conductor: Tickets, please. Oh, wow, is that a parrot?
Lady with parrot on her shoulder: Yes, it is. I take him out every mother’s day to see my parents. He’s on a leash, though, and won’t make any noise.
Conductor: Okay, no problem. There’s actually a cat in the next car and a dog in the one after that.
Parrot lady’s kid: A cat in the next car?! Cats eat birds. One animal per car!
Conductor, deadpan: I’ve got bad news for you, kid – there’s more animals on this car than just that parrot.
Casual observer, not looking up from his paper: Truer words have never been spoken.

–Metro North