Latest news with #deadbirds
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
About 50 birds have dropped dead in an East Bay neighborhood. Why electrocution is being ruled out
The Brief About 50 dead birds have been reported in a Contra Costa County neighborhood. Some residents suspected the birds were electrocuted by a power pole. But state wildlife officials found no signs of electrocution, though they concluded the birds had "injuries consistent with trauma." RICHMOND, Calif. - There are many unanswered questions following the discovery of dozens of dead birds in a residential neighborhood in western Contra Costa County. About 50 dead birds have reportedly been discovered in the unincorporated community of East Richmond Heights in recent weeks. Some residents suspected the birds came in contact with a malfunctioning power line and fell to their deaths after being electrocuted. SEE ALSO:Orphaned raccoons living in walls of Chase Center rescued by SF animal care officers There were reports of residents hearing a zapping noise prior to the birds being found dead. The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office said last month, deputies were called to the 6100 block of Bernhard Avenue. "A resident reported multiple birds were possibly electrocuted when they landed on a power line," investigators said in an earlier statement. Sheriff's officials said PG&E was alerted to inspect the power lines. The utility brought two dead birds it had collected to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for investigation, according to the state agency. In a statement, wildlife officials told KTVU that a mourning dove and a European starling were evaluated. What they're saying "CDFW's Wildlife Health Lab staff found no signs of electrocution in the collected birds," the agency told KTVU in a statement. Officials said it appeared the birds may have been shot at. "The birds did show injuries consistent with trauma that could possibly have been caused by a pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot," CDFW said. Officials also noted that state wildlife experts reviewed photos of four other dead birds from the Bernhard Avenue neighborhood and concluded that those birds also suffered injuries consistent with trauma, though they could not identify the exact cause of the trauma. PG&E said it has sent crews to the area, and given its findings and those by the CDFW, the utility does not believe its equipment caused the avian deaths. "The power pole at issue is compliant with avian safe guidance, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee," PG&E spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian told KTVU. Even after making those conclusions, the utility said it sent another electric worker to the location last week for further investigation, due to the ongoing and heightened concerns of the residents in the neighborhood. "He confirmed that everything in our electric system in that location was operating safely and properly," Sarkissian said. KTVU reached out to the Contra Costa Sheriff's Office and the county's Animal Services Department about possible investigations they may be conducting but did not immediately receive responses.
Times
16-05-2025
- Times
The mystery of San Francisco's ‘exploding' birds is solved
When dead birds started falling from the sky in a San Francisco Bay Area neighbourhood, residents blamed power lines. The mystery deepened after Richmond locals reported birds 'exploding'. Now, the puzzle has been solved, but the answer, while prosaic, is disturbing. Residents first reported the deaths in April and as many as 50 birds are believed to have been killed. Mark Hoehner, 64, was walking his dogs one evening when he heard a loud pop. Looking up, he saw a dove perched on a power line drop to the ground, he told the San Francisco Chronicle. Five minutes later, he heard another pop before a starling fell to the pavement. Max Bolling had a similar experience to that of his neighbour. He had seen
