Agoura Church’s Winged Flock Makes Itself Heard

Sunday services at the Rev. Dave Gudgel’s church in Agoura Hills come with a wing and a prayer.

Crows and sparrows fly up to the chapel door and peck to get in. And Gudgel prays that the noisy knocking won’t disrupt his sermon.

“They have an incredible ability to peck at the most strategic time,” Gudgel said. “They seem to wait until the congregation is quiet and I’m trying to make a point. Then they go at it.”

For the last three years, the birds have provided an unexpected punctuation to weekly observances at the 350-member Baptist church.

The crows produce a jarring, machine-gun staccato sound. One crow is so energetic and determined that a church leader has named him “the Billy Graham of crows.” The sparrows’ tapping is more dainty, although they also cause church ushers and elders to jump up from their pews.

“I’ve gone out and spent several minutes trying to drive off obnoxious sparrows. I know that’s a wimpy thing to say, but they’re very stubborn sparrows,” said Gary Butler, a church deacon.

Usher Cary Krebs said he tries to be discreet when he chases off birds, even though that’s hard to do when the congregation turns in unison to watch the bird banishment through the chapel windows.

“We blow up our cheeks and try to look like owls,” Krebs said. “A few shotguns blasts during services was my remedy. But I was overruled.”

Gudgel, who has headed the church for nine years, said violence has been ruled out.

“We’ve never given any thought to killing them. We have a bird sanctuary here,” Gudgel said, not intending the pun.

Gudgel said it’s a mystery why the birds single out his church. Churchgoers speculate that the chapel’s mirrored windows attract the birds, including a peacock that occasionally visits and makes loud mating calls at his reflection.

Gudgel sometimes tries to work noises into his sermon. A few weeks ago, he was preaching about spreading God’s word when the birds pecked on a rear window loud enough for a pulpit tape recorder to catch the sound.

“It’s our privilege to let others in on the mysteries of God,” Gudgel preached. On cue, one of the crows knocked sharply.

“That crow has been pecking to get into this church for years. There’s got to be a Satanic spirit in that bird,” Gudgel said to the laughter of the congregation.