invisible

This list of phobias - it has entries which are WAY less rational comparing to bird phobias...

wxman22

I'm not sure it's totally becuase of pollution.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, not many birds, probably for the same reasons as above, but pollution is not so bad.

ajGoes

I worked with a woman with a bird phobia. Sadly for her, we often left the office door open on nice days, and birds flew in -- right over her desk -- on several occasions.

Her phobia originated in early childhood and was related to having been chased by newly-headless chickens.

Loren Pechtel

Phobias can come from scary experiences when you're young.

KenTarmac

... and we all grow up. It's a shame that some people carry over these childhood fears into adulthood and that - in extreme cases - they become debilitating.

ajGoes

If you suffer a childhood trauma which renders you phobic during your childhood, and you grow out of it, then growing up solved the problem for you. Other phobias remain; they are ones that growing up doesn't fix. It's bad luck, not a moral failing on the phobic person's part.

TA

It really is kind of crazy how a glitch / issue with our human software while young can affect the hardware for so long.

KenTarmac

Time for a MATRIX style update of the firmware.

Bluehen1

Yep, which is why I still won't snorkel or scuba dive at the age of 50 due to nearly drowning when I was learning to swim when I was 5. I still, to this day, don't like masks and water splashing on my face can freak me out.

Chambucket

Oh my, good thing I’ve read this forum. We are bound to Honolulu in February and will be staying near Waikiki beach. Now that you mentioned tamed birds on the beach, I can’t help but stress about it, as well as the question of whether there are any other beaches in Oahu without any types of birds on the sand.

We went to Florida two years ago and it was a disaster. I’ve come to realize that beaches (and a lot of other places) in the US are full of birds. I started missing beaches in South East Asia where I can just relax under the sun.

I totally understand how your wife feels whenever there are birds around. I’ve had the same phobia since I was a child and people just tend to laugh at it whenever I freak out. I guess because birds are considered nuisance or just part daily life. It’s not for us. [We] can spot birds, hear them, and sense them, then a raise of heartbeat and tension follows. The body just immediately converts into defense mode and everything is just stressful.

Well, thanks for sharing. I hope that we’ll enjoy our trip no matter what.

KenTarmac

Enjoy your trip and then seek therapy. Seriously. There are ways to help with your phobia.

cargueiro

I remember walking around Tokyo on as the sun rose and the streets were relatively deserted with just the bin men out and the earliest commuters.

Huge crows flew about the streets snacking from the bins. Several times their wings clipped my head as they flew down the street searcinf for food. I imagine Tokyo might be the worst place ever for people who like to avoid birds.

Angola used to be good for few birds as it had very little wildlife. However wildlife is returning. Still, not many birds there although many families outside city centres do keep chickens.

JosephSlater007

I think that now birds are everywhere and you will not find places where they will not be there. To be honest, I don't really understand what is the problem if you will live near them, they are so cute no?! I have a friend who has a big garden and does everything in order to keep birds in his garden. He is in love with their song. He even found this site faunafeeders.com and there learned everything how to feed them correctly and like this he has made them make a home in his garden. Crazy man no?! So maybe we all have to learn how to live with birds and to avoid them?!

Amanda Lamoureux

I have the same phobia. I am always getting very frantic and upset when birds are present. Please connect me with your wife as we could maybe help each other overcome this fear. People in my life do not understand it sometimes and think I can get over it. However, it is a very real fear. Thank you.

pinniped

I knew I'd seen this thread before.

I don't know why I didn't notice that Punta Cana pool image the first time around. I had to google it: the pool is indeed real, accessible with Priority Pass, although that image with multiple A380s in the background is apparently not.

As far as birds go, the thread has already covered most of it but perhaps some mountainous destinations? I haven't personally been attacked by birds, but I think of seaside locations and the places likeliest to run across an aggressive bird not afraid of trying to steal a sandwich out of your hand. I can't recall any close interactions with birds when I've been in the Rockies, Alps, etc. Might see them off in the distance but not bothering humans.