Prank, sorcery or accident?

Photo: Contributed

Scene of multiple dead birds in Peachland.

A Peachland resident was left puzzled after stumbling across a dozen dead birds on the sidewalk a few feet from each other.

Shamus Bowker says he was walking on 3rd Street in Peachland when he found the oddity on Sunday. 

“I was not sure if it was a prank or sorcery, so I didn't let the dogs sniff too much,” he said.

Conservation Officer Ken Owens says it looks like a flock of birds hit the first and second storey windows of the building. 

Photos from the scene show a decal on the window with a bird crossed out.

Owens said the birds appear to be cedar waxwings, which sometimes eat too many fermented berries, and their ability to fly straight gets inhibited.

“We have a provincial wildlife veterinarian on staff that can conduct necropsies of the birds to determine the cause of death,” said Owens. “This species, cedar waxwings, also likes to eat mountain ash berries, and sometimes they are fermented.

Owens hopes they can preserve some of the birds and would need to freeze two or three.

Photo: Contribute