Does that bird seem tipsy? It might be drunk
Posted November 4, 2018 8:48 pm.
Last Updated November 5, 2018 4:20 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The holidays are almost upon us, and it’s not just humans who end up a bit tipsy at this time of year.
It’s also when you’re likely to run into drunk birds.
Over-ripe berries fall from trees and bushes, and start to ferment after a frost. They’re quickly gobbled up hungry birds looking for a quick snack.
Sara Dubois with the BC SPCA says it usually starts right about now.
“Birds are really gorging on these winter fruits and they actually can get a little too much into their systemand neurologically, they act like they’re drunk,” Dubois says.
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When that happens, they can quickly get disoriented.
“They have been seen falling out and not being able to perch properly. Some have hit windows. Often you’ll see them on the ground and they don’t look quite right,” she says. “Whether these animals actually need to come into care, to be re-hydrated, they need to kind of go to their own little drunk tank.”
The SPCA asks you to call your local wildlife rescue centre if you see a bird in distress. In some cases they may even recover on their own without needing to be admitted.
