How did The Birds build suspense before the bird attacks begin?

In The Birds, director Alfred Hitchcock builds suspense by deliberately taking his time before the bird attacks begin. Rather than rushing into the action, he focuses on introducing the main characters—Melanie Daniels, Mitch Brenner, Lydia Brenner, and Annie Hayworth—and meticulously establishing their complex personal relationships.12

By dedicating a significant portion of the film to this character development and the underlying "Freudian byplay" between them, Hitchcock creates a sense of anticipation that heightens the impact of the subsequent violence. Additionally, he utilizes electronic sounds instead of a traditional musical score to create an unsettling atmosphere, further intensifying the suspense as the town of Bodega Bay is slowly rendered helpless by the inexplicable behavior of the birds.12