VLA Investigates Starlings Death
Photo courtesy of the RSPCA.
The dead and dying birds were found littered across a garden in Somerset three weeks ago.
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) Wildlife Group led an investigation alongside the RSPCA and Natural England. The VLA Wildlife Group is funded by Defra to investigate unusual mortalities in wildlife and carry out surveillance of new and emerging diseases of wildlife.
At 3.30 pm on Sunday 8th March 2010 a whooshing sound was heard before the starlings hit the ground. The weather was warm, sunny and there was little wind.
Sixty-seven birds were found dead in a 12ft-wide area, across the driveway of a private house and a tarmac pavement outside.
Two others dying birds were put down on humane grounds by an RSPCA officer. Another was found dead in a clematis trellis, where others died soon after. Another which could not be caught was found dead a few days later.
A further five birds which were hopping around in bushes unable to fly were taken to the RSPCA Wildlife Hospital. One died on the way and the others were put down. In total 76 birds were frozen at the RSPCA Wildlife Hospital at West Hatch before examination by the VLA.
All the bodies of 60 birds that were examined were in good condition. They had no broken wings, legs or skulls, and had feed in their stomachs. However, just over a third had some degree of beak damage and nearly half had blood in their mouths.
Alex Barlow, Veterinary Investigation Officer at VLA, said: “The clinical history along with the post mortem findings would indicate that this incident was due to a fatal error in flight by the flock. But we can only guess the cause of this error.
“It is possible the birds were trying to avoid a predator such as a sparrow hawk or they were distracted by traffic, light reflections or noise.
It is also interesting to note that the shingle on the drive is a similar colour to that of reed beds so they may have been descending quickly into what they might have seen as tall reeds.”
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
