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USA Today
15-05-2025
- USA Today
Sudden fowl fatalities bring a new bird mystery to San Francisco Bay Area
Sudden fowl fatalities bring a new bird mystery to San Francisco Bay Area Show Caption Hide Caption Stranded, hungry pelicans are being found along California's coast International Bird Rescue treated more than 400 brown pelicans in 2024, when this video was taken, and is closing in on 200 this year. SAN FRANCISCO – In the classic film 'The Birds,'' flocks of crows and other species suddenly and viciously attack people for no apparent reason. Now another Bay Area-based mystery has emerged involving avian creatures, though this time they're the ones in danger. Residents of East Richmond Heights, an East Bay community less than 15 miles from San Francisco, have reported in recent weeks increasing numbers of birds dropping dead to the ground from power lines. Popping sounds similar to firecrackers have been heard moments before the birds' deaths. A sign attached to a wooden pole in the area of the incidents says, 'Over 50 birds have died + continue to die here after landing on the top power line,'' but it's not clear the electricity wires have anything to do with the fowl fatalities. Neighbors have found carcasses in their yards and on the street, creating an eerie feeling and growing alarm, not unlikely the reaction from locals in the 1963 suspense drama from acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock, set mostly in the Sonoma County town of Bodega Bay. Maximillian Bolling of Richmond told KGO-TV, an ABC affiliate in San Francisco, that he has seen a number of birds abruptly plummet to their demise, and that between himself and neighbors they have spotted at least 13 of their corpses. Plummeting to a 'really violent' death 'So when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it's really violent,'' he told the station. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it's investigating after residents raised concerns the birds might have been electrocuted. In a statement to USA TODAY, the department said it examined two dead birds – a mourning dove and a European starling – sent in by Northern California energy provider PG&E. The DFW lab staff 'found no signs of electrocution in the collected birds,'' the statement said. 'The birds did show injuries consistent with trauma that could possibly have been caused by pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot.'' Photos of other birds from that location also showed traumatic injuries, the department said, adding that it couldn't determine their cause. That raises the possibility of someone intentionally harming the birds, and the Contra Costa County sheriff's department has been notified. PG&E validated, but some still skeptical The DFW analysis seems to validate PG&E's contention that it's not at fault in this matter, although neighbors expressed skepticism to KGO, questioning whether a BB gun could make a firecracker-like sound or a shooter could display such consistent accuracy. The utility has yet to regain the trust of many people in Northern California after its equipment set off devastating wildfires in the region in recent years. Nonetheless, spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said the company appreciated its customers' concerns for the birds. 'PG&E does not believe that there was an issue with our electrical equipment and agrees that these birds were not electrocuted,'' she said in a statement, adding that, 'The pole at issue is compliant with avian safe guidance, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee.''
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
The mystery of Northern California's 'exploding' birds is being solved
A recent spate of birds falling dead in one Bay Area neighborhood has turned into a homespun mystery after a resident claimed one exploded, neighbors blamed the local utility company and authorities had to go in to investigate. In April, a resident reported multiple birds were possibly electrocuted by a power line in the unincorporated area of Richmond, northeast of San Francisco, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Resident Maximillian Bolling told KGO-TV he witnessed several birds die after perching on power lines and a resident's doorbell camera captured footage of a bird falling after the sound of a loud pop. "So when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it's really violent," Bolling said. News of exploding birds travels fast, so local news outlets visited the neighborhood to investigate. Blurred photos from several outlets show dead birds on the ground, with their bodies intact. Residents said they've found 13 altogether in their neighborhood yards. With residents pointing fingers at the local utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. sent workers into the neighborhood to check. In a statement, the company said that it appreciated the community's concern and that workers found several bird carcasses and sent two of them to the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Health Lab for evaluation. The results showed the birds were not electrocuted, the company said. One of the birds was a mourning dove and the other a European starling. "The pole at issue is compliant with avian safe guidance, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee," Matt Nauman, a PG&E spokesperson, said in a media statement. The state agency echoed PG&E's statement, saying, "The birds did show injuries consistent with trauma that could possibly have been caused by pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot." Further tamping down the mystery of it all, the department also received photos of other birds at the location and those too showed signs consistent with trauma, said Krysten Kellum, regional spokesperson for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The investigation into the bird deaths is still ongoing. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
14-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
The mystery of Northern California's ‘exploding' birds is being solved
A recent spate of birds falling dead in one Bay Area neighborhood has turned into a homespun mystery after a resident claimed one exploded, neighbors blamed the local utility company and authorities had to go in to investigate. In April, a resident reported multiple birds were possibly electrocuted by a power line in the unincorporated area of Richmond, northeast of San Francisco, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Resident Maximillian Bolling told KGO-TV he witnessed several birds die after perching on power lines and a resident's doorbell camera captured footage of a bird falling after the sound of a loud pop. 'So when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it's really violent,' Bolling said. News of exploding birds travels fast, so local news outlets visited the neighborhood to investigate. Blurred photos from several outlets show dead birds on the ground, with their bodies intact. Residents said they've found 13 altogether in their neighborhood yards. With residents pointing fingers at the local utility, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. sent workers into the neighborhood to check. In a statement, the company said that it appreciated the community's concern and that workers found several bird carcasses and sent two of them to the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Health Lab for evaluation. The results showed the birds were not electrocuted, the company said. One of the birds was a mourning dove and the other a European starling. 'The pole at issue is compliant with avian safe guidance, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee,' Matt Nauman, a PG&E spokesperson, said in a media statement. The state agency echoed PG&E's statement, saying, 'The birds did show injuries consistent with trauma that could possibly have been caused by pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot.' Further tamping down the mystery of it all, the department also received photos of other birds at the location and those too showed signs consistent with trauma, said Krysten Kellum, regional spokesperson for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The investigation into the bird deaths is still ongoing.
13-05-2025
Mystery of 'exploding birds' deepens in California city as necropsies suggest foul play
A disturbing avian mystery is unfolding in a Northern California town where residents have reported birds "exploding." Residents of a neighborhood in the Bay Area community of Richmond, northeast of San Francisco, claim they have found multiple dead birds in their yards on their street. Security cameras even recorded one fowl's fatality, showing it falling to its death from a power line after a loud pop was captured in the footage. The mystery deepened on Monday when investigators released the results of necropsies performed on two of the dead birds, suggesting foul play. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Health Lab confirmed to ABC News it had received two dead birds -- a mourning dove and a European starling -- and that injuries were consistent with trauma from a pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot -- not electrocution from power lines. However, the department noted that "the exact cause of the trauma to all of these birds could not be determined." Richmond resident Maximillian Bolling said he witnessed several birds succumb to a horrible death after perching on power lines. "So when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it's really violent," Bolling told ABC San Francisco station KGO-TV. Bolling said he and his neighbors counted at least 13 birds that have met a baffling demise. As the casualties have mounted, locals have speculated on everything from the birds being electrocuted by power lines to a phantom serial bird killer being on the loose. Another resident, self-described "animal lover" Sharon Anderson, told KGO-TV that seeing the birds drop dead has been heartbreaking. "It was just horrifying," she said. The wildlife mystery began several months ago when the first birds turned up dead, according to residents. The California State Department of Fish and Wildlife has launched an investigation, a spokesperson for the agency told ABC News on Monday. Some residents have alleged that power lines in the area that belong to the Pacific Gas & Electric Company have something to do with the deaths and have pleaded with the utility company to do something to rectify the problem. But PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian told ABC News on Monday that an investigation has uncovered no evidence that its power lines are the culprit. "We appreciate the concern of our customers in Richmond about the recent series of bird deaths," PG&E said in an additional statement to ABC News. PG&E said it sent crews to examine a power pole in the Richmond neighborhood that residents have cited as the possible root of the lethal problem. The company said the power pole in question is compliant with avian safe guidance established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee. The utility company said it asked the Department of Fish & Wildlife to evaluate two of the bird corpses. Bolling said he and his neighbors just want to deaths to stop.
Metro
13-05-2025
- Metro
Town horrified by mystery of 'exploding' birds found dead in their gardens
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video From bird poo making a mess of clean cars and cawing waking people up in the early hours, there will always be times where birds cause a bit of a nuisance. But residents in a neighbourhood of Richmond, California have been left horrified after several birds have been found dead in their gardens. Even worse, not only are the birds dying, but it appears they could even be 'exploding' before falling to their deaths. Maximillian Bolling and his neighbours have counted at least 13 birds who have met a violent and so far unexplained end – but some residents estimate more than 50 birds have died in this way. He told US television station KGO-TV the birds seem to be dying after perching on a specific part of a power line, adding 'when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it's really violent'. Doorbell video footage appeared to catch one of the bird deaths in action. The audio recorded a loud 'pop' before a bird was seen falling lifeless to the ground as passersby gasp at the sight. Locals likened the 'pop' sound to the sound of a BB gun or firecracker going off. Mark Hoehner, who saw one of the incidents a few months ago, said: 'It sounded like a firecracker, and a black bird – a starling – just plummeted to the ground. 'I've been under the birds when it happens, and I know where the sound is coming from. It's coming from up on the pole.' The violent circumstances have led residents to assume the power lines were in some way responsible for the bird deaths – but the California Department of Fish & Wildlife has examined two bird corpses and found no evidence of electrocution, it's been claimed. The Pacific Gas & Electric Company, which provides power to residents and businesses in the area, insist their pole and power lines are 'compliant' with bird safety standards. A spokesperson said: 'We appreciate the concern of our customers in Richmond about the recent series of bird deaths. 'We have asked the California Department of Fish & Wildlife to evaluate several of the bird corpses. 'They have shared that the birds show no evidence of electrocution, and that their deaths were caused by trauma, potentially from a pellet or BB gun or a slingshot. 'PG&E does not believe that there was an issue with our electrical equipment and agrees that these birds were not electrocuted. 'Neighbors have asked the Contra County Sheriff's Office to look into this situation. 'The pole at issue is compliant with avian safe standards, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee.' The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: 'On Saturday, April 26, 2025, at about 5:00 pm, Contra Costa deputy sheriffs were dispatched to the 6100 block of Bernhard Avenue in unincorporated Richmond for a report of a suspicious circumstance. 'A resident reported multiple birds were possibly electrocuted when they landed on a power line. 'A report was made and PG&E was requested to respond to the location to inspect the powerlines.' Regardless of the cause, residents want action to be taken to avoid the needless deaths of more birds in future. They've been posting signs on poles issuing warnings about the danger, and asking neighbours to document any further bird deaths they may witness. 'We just want it solved at the end of the day,' Maximillian added. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Full list of JCPenney stores closing this month MORE: Urgent recall for sandwiches and snacks over listeria outbreak with 10 hospitalized in US MORE: Safari tourist on nighttime walk trampled to death by elephants
