Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Mikhail Klimentyev/ Presidential Press Service/RIA-Novosti/AP) 
 
 In Russia, Vladimir Putin's face is a common sight on television, newspapers, T-shirts, book covers and patriotic graffiti. So it was no wonder that a Russian TV channel, Zvezda ("Star"), claimed that Putin's face could be seen in the outlines of a swarm of birds flying above New York. Zvezda is known for its strictly patriotic views and is owned by the Russian Defense Ministry. 
 
 The TV channel pointed to a YouTube video posted by someone named Sheryl Gilbert. The video was uploaded Tuesday and generated lots of comments in Russian on Wednesday after the Russian channel picked it up. "It's a warning to the U.S. that they shouldn't start a war with Russia," one user wrote. "Putin bribed American birds," commented another in Ukrainian. Someone else suggested that the outlines did not resemble Putin's face as much as that of Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. But there wasn't much support for that view. 
 
 Gregory West, who claims to be the husband of Sheryl Gilbert, posted a link to the video on Twitter on Tuesday. "Saw it several days ago during a trip and that's amazing! Can you see the face? Who is it?" 
 
 Some suggested that it was Steve Jobs, Robin Williams or Jerry Mouse. But some think the video is a fake. Zvezda also warned that it cannot guarantee the authenticity of the video. ||||| NEW YORK, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A video showing the "strange behavior" of birds in New York is going viral after a Russian news station spotted the shape of Vladimir Putin's face in the flock. 
 
 The video, posted to YouTube by Sheryl Gilbert, purports to show the "strange behavior of birds" flying in a flock near the Brooklyn Bridge. 
 
 The video went viral in Russia after news station Zvezda aired the footage and reporters said a shape seen in a close-up of the birds appears to be the face of President Vladimir Putin. 
 
 The station, owned by the Russian Defense Ministry, cautioned the video could have been faked, but Gregory West, who identified himself as Gilbert's husband, said on Twitter the footage was real and shot from a tour bus during a recent visit to New York. 
 
 "Saw it several days ago during a trip and that's amazing! Can you see the face? Who is it?" West tweeted. ||||| Matthew Dunn news.com.au 
 
 IT turns out Vladimir Putin was seen invading the skies of New York City last week. 
 
 OK, that might be a stretch, but if you believe an 11-second YouTube clip, the Russian president was definitely there in spirit. 
 
 Sheryl Gilbert was on board a tourist bus when she captured footage of a flock of birds swarming around the New York skyline. 
 
 What made the clip impressive was the fact the birds flew into a formation that resembled a human face. 
 
 And it is not just any face, but the face of Putin. 
 
 Since being uploaded to YouTube, the video has gained a lot of attention and has been viewed more than a million times. 
 
 While many are quick to condemn the video as a fake, a number of Russian YouTube users think the event is a message. 
 
 “This is a hint: imagine what we can do during the war, if we can now make your birds fly resembling the face of our president,” commented one user. 
 
 “It’s a warning to the US that they shouldn’t start a war with Russia,” wrote another. 
 
 Check out the video below and let us know your thoughts in the comments section or tweet us @newscomauHQ
– Is Russia's leader glowering over America? A YouTube video purporting to show Vladimir Putin's face forming in a flock of birds above New York City has gotten a lot of online attention—especially in Russia, UPI reports. Posted under the name Sheryl Gilbert, it was aired last week by Russia's state-owned and "strictly patriotic" Zvezda news station, notes the Washington Post. Russian users quickly weighed in, posting comments like "It's a warning to the US that they shouldn't start a war with Russia" and, from a Ukrainian, "Putin bribed American birds." Many say the 11-second video is fake, Australia's News Network reports, but no one has described the alleged fakery in detail. Gregory West, whose Twitter account describes him as a "Patriot," "Conservative," "Political Blogger" and "Proud Husband of @ _SherylGilbert," tweeted, "Saw it several days ago during a trip and that's amazing! Can you see the face? Who is it?"