When Melanie Daniels is crossing a lake, she is nipped by a gull. Gradually, incidents of bird attacks on humans by pecking increases. Glass windows splinter as birds dive into them, children are sent home from school to safety, townspeople take refuge in a lunchroom, Ms. Daniels is trapped in a phone booth, and, finally, everyone hides in homes tightly boarded up against repeated attacks by the birds.

Tippi Hedren was actually cut in the face by a bird in one of the shots.

Mitch Brenner:
Be able to find your way back all right?


Melanie Daniels:
Oh, yes.


Mitch Brenner:
Will I be seeing you again?


Melanie Daniels:
San Francisco's a long way from here.


Mitch Brenner:
Well, I'm in San Francisco five days a week with a lot of time on my hands, I'd like to see you. Maybe we could go swimming or something. Mother tells me you like to swim.


Melanie Daniels:
How does Mother know what I like to do?


Mitch Brenner:
I guess we read the same gossip columns.


Melanie Daniels:
Oh, that. Rome.


Mitch Brenner:
Yeah, I really like to swim, I think we might get along very well.


Melanie Daniels:
In case you're interested, I was pushed into that fountain.


Mitch Brenner:
Without any clothes on?


Melanie Daniels:
With all my clothes on. The newspaper that ran that story happens to be a rival of my father's paper.


Mitch Brenner:
You're just a poor, innocent victim of circumstances, huh?


Melanie Daniels:
Well I'm neither poor nor innocent, but the truth of that particular...


Mitch Brenner:
Truth is you were running around with a pretty wild crowd, isn't it?


Melanie Daniels:
Well yes, that's the truth, but I was pushed into that fountain, and that's the truth, too.


Mitch Brenner:
Uh huh. Do you really know Annie Hayworth?


Melanie Daniels:
No. At least I didn't till I came up here.


Mitch Brenner:
So you didn't go to school together?


Melanie Daniels:
No.


Mitch Brenner:
And you didn't come up here to see her.


Melanie Daniels:
No.


Melanie Daniels:
You were lying!


Melanie Daniels:
Yes, I was lying.

Crew or equipment visible: After Melanie delivers the lovebirds to the Brenner home, the camera follows her as she walks back along the jetty to her boat, with the dolly track clearly visible.

("I married my wife in the month of June")
Derived from the traditional Scottish folk song "The Wee Cooper o'Fife"
Sung by the schoolchildren