Teaneck officials try to figure out how to calm wild turkeys ruffling residents feathers

TEANECK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Wild turkeys in Teaneck, New Jersey, are ruffling a lot of feathers with their aggressive behavior in recent months.

"One by one they flew up onto their roof and we were saying, 'We didn't know turkeys could fly,'" said Courtney Lopchinsky, a homeowner.

You might call it a turkey invasion, or at least that's how it seemed for Lopchinsky and family.

"He flew straight through the window, broke through the glass, we were showered in glass, and it landed on this table," Lopchinsky said.

She says she noticed the wild birds increasing in numbers in Teaneck, but never did she foresee a confrontation like this.

"The turkey was on the table spreading his wings, just throwing glass all over the house, he was muddy and dirty, and we were covered in mud and water, and we had minor cuts but nothing major," Lopchinsky said.

Teaneck officials say complaints about their feathered neighbors have been flying through the roof lately with reports of wild turkeys stopping traffic, pecking cars, and even attacking people and children.

"I'm afraid to go out in the morning. First, I check out my window to see if the turkeys are around," a resident said.

"We've seen turkeys attack cars, blocking cars," an official said.

A council meeting with state wildlife officials was held Wednesday to discuss solutions for combating this new pecking order, but the birds are a protected species so officials admit it's a delicate issue.

"I think that everybody just wants a peaceful solution, and maybe the turkeys could just be taken somewhere," Lopchinsky said.

Tuesday night, the council listened to experts talk about humane resolutions to repel the aggressive birds which typically act this way during mating season.

Some of the suggestions recommended not feeding them, covering up shiny objects they're attracted to, and making loud noises to scare them off.