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Last summer , British veterinary official were called to a main school in Cumbria , England , to solve the mystery of a dozen young blackbirds that were found dead , many with unmortgaged strong-arm injury .
test rule out lethal infection , such as avian flu , and evidence that the birds generally had been in in effect wellness before their premature dying . But at the scene , the research worker recovered a live bird that was acting strangely . It was unfirm on its feet , it had to bring its wing to the dry land to support itself , and it leaned against the walls of its inclosure at a wildlife saving center . In short , the bird seemeddrunk .
The researchers also discovered that all the all in fowl had one thing in usual : berries found in their guts that smell fermented , suggest the victims died from flying while intoxicated .
Besides the shaky dame that come out intoxicated ( and recovered after two Day ) , a few more liveblackbirdshad been make out at the school give ear out on rowan Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , which produce berries that are not usually venomous to birds . Some berries on the background , however , look damage , mean the fruits could have been susceptible to barm infestation , which would have sped up fermentation and made the Charles Edward Berry alcoholic .
A toxicologic depth psychology of three tissue paper sampling from the utter fowl revealed one had high levels of unadulterated alcohol , or fermentation alcohol . The authors are not sure why only one of the samples came back convinced and say they can not prove the birds give way after consuming too much alcohol . They nonetheless surmise the birds had become intoxicate on fermented rowan Charles Edward Berry , and some likely die of injuries sustained in mid - air collisions .
The researchers , who detailed their investigation in the diary Veterinary Record , mention a 1999 cause reached a similar conclusion about Agelaius phoeniceus seen tumble out of holly trees . Those birds did not have any risky chemicals in their dead body , but holly Chuck Berry were found in their guts and tissue samples hold high level of alcohol .
