A Birdhouse in South of Market? On the Street???

What the heck is this?!?! There’s a birdhouse on a street pole, at the busy corner of Fourth & Bryant? Unless you walk all over the neighborhood, constantly looking up like a tourist (or like yours truly), you probably wouldn’t notice this.

I couldn’t help but wonder who put this birdhouse here and why. Are there birds in need of a home at this Carbon-monoxide-laced street corner? If you’ll recall, this is a three-way intersection with Fourth, Bryant and the last exit off of Route 80 before the Bay Bridge. 

It’s too bad I couldn’t climb up this pole to see if it’s actually being used by birds, or if it’s just yet another form of artistic expression along this urban stretch. That would be a pretty cool art movement if somebody went around SOMA posting an assortment of unique birdhouses. Practical for birds, too. Especially since birds have had a particularly rough start to the New Year elsewhere around the United States.

Here’s a look at the original photo with a less-than-awesome ‘zoom’ effect on the birdhouse (in case you missed it):