Angry owl earns sign in Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (AP) - MSNBC host Rachel Maddow inspired Oregon's capital to post new warning signs in a park where four runners reported attacks from an angry owl likely defending its nest against perceived threats.

One jogger, a surgeon, said the owl hit him twice in Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, and so hard he thought he was having a stroke or an aneurysm. Another said the bird swiped his longtime running cap and nicked his scalp.

Maddow suggested on air last week that the city should post a vivid yellow warning sign using the iconic pedestrian stick figure bent forward at a run. Above, claws extended, is a raptor.

Salem officials liked the idea. The city secured rights to reproduce the sign and is posting 20 of them.

Birders say the assailant is a barred owl, an aggressive bird that's especially so during the current mating season. They say it may calm down soon.