CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio (WJW) — Thousands of birds “going crazy” in Northeast Ohio — that’s how a FOX 8 viewer described the moment a large group of birds were suddenly flocking and chirping outside of his home along Solon Road.

“They were so loud, I could hear them through my closed balcony slider,” said Eric Oswald.

In a video shared with FOX 8, the birds can be heard chirping and then suddenly taking off from the trees.

“Can you hear them? There they go. Look at them. I’ve never seen this here ever before,” said Oswald in the video.

Experts at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said the birds look and sound like blackbirds, which could entail several species like red-winged blackbirds or common grackles.

So, what caused such a large group of birds to behave like this?

A spokesperson for ODNR, Jamey Emmert, said the large groups are common in the fall and winter, which is when birds that tend to fly solo instead congregate. The move helps reduce the chance of an individual being targeted by predators like hawks, falcons and other species, explained experts. Think “safety in numbers.”

“These flocks are nothing to fear, just a truly remarkable sign of fall!” said Emmert.