Drunk birds? Wildlife officials share warning to watch out for feathery friends
Wildlife officials have an important message entering spring: Don’t drink and fly.
Experts warned that some birds may be a little tipsy this season, according to a post from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division on April 12.
Some bird species, notably cedar waxwings and American robins “often eat fruit that has started to rot and ferment,” officials said.
When fruits ferment, they produce alcohol, the post said.
Waxwings and robins have ranges that extend across the United States, and as they start to increase their fruit consumption this spring, they may get a buzz.
“The consumption of these fermented fruits can cause the birds to lose much of their coordination and capacity to fly,” officials said.
Wildlife officials warned that this may cause birds to crash into windows or other objects more frequently.
The birds can even die from alcohol poisoning if they eat too much of the fermented fruit, officials said.
“Most birds likely just get a bit tipsy, and very few people would be able to pick them out as intoxicated,” Meghan Larivee, laboratory coordinator for Environment Yukon, told National Geographic. “However, every now and then, some birds just overdo it.”
Other than fermented fruit, officials said birds can also be found flying under the influence when they eat Nandina berries, or sacred bamboo.
The plant, often used in landscaping, pulls cyanide out of the soil and harbors it in its berries, according to wildlife officials. There can be lethal doses of cyanide in the red fruit.
To help prevent birds from drunken crashes, make windows more visible by adding a net, tape, shutters, paint or decals to windows, the Humane Society of the United States said.
“Learn from our feathered friends and consume fruits responsibly,” officials said.
This story was originally published April 12, 2023 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Drunk birds? Wildlife officials share warning to watch out for feathery friends."
