Mystery as 200 birds fall dead from the sky as horrified drivers say it was like watching a ‘horror film’
HORRIFIED drivers have told how 200 birds mysteriously fell dead from the sky like a “horror film”.
Residents of Waterston and Hazelbeach, Pembrokeshire, discovered the deceased starlings scattered across their roads yesterday evening.
Its thought the birds began to appear at 9pm and by 11pm roughly 200 had fallen.
One local resident, Claire Eaton, told the of the horrifying mystery incident.
She said: "It was really traumatic. On the road there were quite a few dead birds.
“Blood splattered everywhere. I saw a flash in the sky about an hour previously.
"It was like something out of a horror film. I think the cause of this is man made, and people need to respect our wildlife."
The RSPB have not confirmed their cause of death - but say the birds may have been disturbed from their evening roost.
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The wildlife charity said: "When this happens during night-time, it can cause them to collide with the ground as they become disorientated.
"However, further examinations will be needed to confirm the cause of this incident."
Pembrokeshire council confirmed 200 starlings had been found dead - but Pembrokeshire Herald editor Tom Sinclair believes the number was much higher.
He said: "In the first wave people told me the council collected 10 bin bags, and I was there later on so I think quite a few hundred, if not a 1,000 have died.
"I was there at around 11.30pm, they were still falling from the sky. It was as if they were dead before they hit the ground."
"I got the impression they were falling from a height, I was worried about my car but I had parked a bit further away.”
But despite witnessing some of the carnage, it gave him no insight into the cause.
He added: "I don't know what happened, really no idea, I can't think it was a bird of prey, they weren't flying and hitting the road, they were falling dead.
"I wondered if they were poisoned, or maybe it was birds who migrate and it was really cold, maybe they froze and died."
A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said: "Officers attended the site and there were around 200 starlings found dead on the road.
"The authority undertook a clean-up and removed the dead birds from site. There is no clear indication as to the cause of these deaths. We have reported the incident to the Animal and Plant Health Agency."
