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Nat Hocken’s experiences during World War II influence how he observes the world and his ability to discern logical explanations for extraordinary events. Nat appears to be one of the first people to notice the birds’ strange behavior, but his steady mind allows him to keep perspective. He rationally attributes the birds’ behavior to the sudden shift in weather. He further reasons that the birds are in search of food. However, Nat’s wartime instincts have been awakened and he remains perceptive to new developments. He observes the birds through a military lens as possible enemies, and when the birds attack in earnest, Nat is quick to accept the strange reality that the birds are targeting humans. Nat’s wife, on the other hand, is slow to grasp what’s happening. She continues to downplay the birds’ behavior and is unable or unwilling to consider more dangerous implications. This juxtaposition between Nat’s mindset and that of his wife, a civilian, highlights Nat’s military training as an important factor in his fight for survival.

Throughout his struggle against the birds, Nat relies on his resourcefulness and military training to assess risk and take steps to minimize those risks. Just as any military person would be trained to do, Nat uses his first largely unsuccessful battle with the birds as a learning opportunity. He recognizes the windows as the cottage’s main point of weakness and quickly boards them up. He also understands from his fight that trying to kill the birds is useless. There are simply too many of them. Rather, Nat takes a defensive posture. He understands that the physical structure of the cottage is the family’s best protection from the birds and acts to fortify it. When Mr. Trigg invites Nat to shoot the birds with him and offers him a gun, Nat refuses because he has learned how ineffective this will be. It is the same with the airplanes and their guns. Nat knows they won’t work. Nat also quickly realizes how unprepared his family is for a siege and uses his resourcefulness to shore up wherever he is lacking. He uses whatever is at hand, such as a garden hoe or a towel, to stay alive in any given moment so that he can live to fight another day. This attitude and resourcefulness allow Nat and his family to outlive their neighbors and stay alive at least one more night.

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