What is causing birds in a California neighbourhood to spontaneously explode?
That is the question that has left people in the city of Richmond who found several birds dead in their gardens.
One such person is Maximillian Bolling who estimates that he and his neighbours have found around 50 corpses.
There’s even doorbell footage that captured one of the deaths. In the audio, you can hear a loud ‘pop’ like a BB gun being shot before a bird falls lifelessly to the ground while witnesses gasp.
Mark Hoehner, who saw it happen 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.’
Max, who spoke to KGT-TV, shared a similar story – they are dying after perching on a specific part of the power line.
He said: ‘When they land and it happens, the just quickly explode and it’s really violent.’
They mystery further intensified after they called the police to try to get to the bottom of what was happening.
The county sheriff contacted Pacific Gas and Electricity Company who contacted the California Fish and Wildlife department.
In the end, there was no evidence of electrocution on the corpses they examined and the poles, PG&E insist, comply with bird safety standards.
In a statement, they said: ‘PG&E does not believe 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.’
Meanwhile, people living near the network of overhead cables remain vigilant and continue to collect birds’ bodies when they fall.
