When Whirlybirds Call

When Whirlybirds Call is a science fiction novella by Frank Banta, first published in January 1963 in Worlds of If Science Fiction magazine. The story follows Five-gun Charles DeCrabbe, a confident bounty hunter, as he confronts giant, predatory whirlybirds that threaten the inhabitants of Featherton on Grimes Planet. Notable for its unique blend of hunting themes and human-alien encounters, the novella explores the challenges of survival in a space colony besieged by these feathered predators.