15-05-2025
Mystery surrounds dead birds found in a Northern California city
The California Department is Fish and Wildlife has confirmed they received two dead birds from Pacific Gas & Electric Co. for evaluation, after several birds were found dead in a Bay Area neighborhood under mysterious circumstances.
Max Bolling lives in the Richmond neighborhood where the birds have been found. He said during one weekend in February he and his brother found five dead birds under power lines. Since then Max said he has personally seen 20 dead birds.
Max said, "we kinda were thinking back and it's probably been close to 50 between us and all of the neighbors between this pole and the pole over there."
Department of Fish and Wildlife officials said one of the birds they evaluated was a European Starling and the other was a mourning dove.
The two birds turned in by PG&E aren't the only ones to turn up dead in the neighborhood. Fish and Wildlife officials said they have received pictures of birds who showed signs of trauma. They said the trauma looks like it could have been caused by a pellet gun, a BB gun, or a slingshot.
While the birds were collected by PG&E, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said they didn't show signs of electrocution but people in the neighborhood say they believe that's what's happening.
Jeremy Hoehner Haele said, "My dad's been seeing them he's been seeing a lot more than I have. Actually he's seen them like appear to be fried on the wire themselves like he's said he's seen that a couple times."
CBS News Bay Area has reach out to PG&E for a statement about the birds but has not heard back as of Wednesday.
Fish and Wildlife officials are still investigating what is killing the birds in this Richmond neighborhood.
