Considering that two of the Red Sox' division rivals are named after birds, it's a wonder the avian kingdom hasn't struck at us more often. Small consolation to a middle-school girl from Connecticut, who was on a Fenway tour today and got attacked by a red-tailed hawk (similar to the one pictured).

Everything turned out fine. The girl was treated and released, and the hawk and its nest are being sent away, presumably to Pawtucket for retooling.

This, on a day when the Sox were showing off Fenway improvements to members of the press and Mayor Menino. New features include better standing-room areas, more restrooms, LED scoreboards, and KILLER BIRDS SWOOPING DOWN AND RIPPING YOUR SCALP OFF. Not that we want to incite panic. But if you are panicked and want to give away your tickets, well, we're easy to reach.

The idea that Fenway's been teeming with our angry Feathered Friends all along is a little disturbing, if not as terrifying as the hordes of feral cats that made Veterans Stadium in Philly their home until it was blown up. On the other hand, hawks are smart and trainable, and perhaps can be taught to think of certain symbols as prey...well, we're not against that in principle.

Image from Wikipedia. As always, the pictured hawk is innocent until proven guilty.