Drunk birds cause havoc in Minnesota town

[Demovictory9]

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a drunk cedar waxwing

Birds have been flying under the influence in Minnesota – smashing into windows and cars after getting sloshed on fermented berries, according to reports.

Police have racked up half a dozen calls about the tipsy birds causing a ruckus in Gilbert, a city about an hour north of Duluth, Fox 9 reported Wednesday.

“We’ve sort of nicknamed it ‘berry benders’ now that these birds are on a berry bender,” Gilbert Police Chief Ty Techer told the network. “The young birds’ livers can’t process it as well. They seem to be loopier, for lack of a better term.”

An early frost has caused berries to ferment, Techer explained. The weird phenomenon has happened before but it’s more prevalent this year because the birds haven’t yet migrated south, he said.

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A drunk cedar waxwing too unsteady to fly.Birdchick.com

https://nypost.com/2018/10/04/drunk-birds-cause-havoc-in-minnesota-town/

“There is no need to call law enforcement about these birds as they should sober up within a short period of time,” Techer advised residents in a statement, according to the Washington Post.

Cedar waxwings and American robins gobble fruit such as crabapples, whose sugar turns to alcohol as moisture is lost, according to park ranger Sharon Stiteler.

“Drunk birds are totally a thing. I’ve had to give sober rides to cedar wax wings from uptown,” she joked

[MineralMan]

1. I noticed the other day that the cedar waxwings had stripped the

berries from a couple of Mountain Ash trees in a parkway. I noticed, because I had planned to taste them after our recent frost. All gone. Gobbled up. Now, I don't know if they had started fermenting, but they sure might have. They're also known as Rowan berries and dogberries. So, I didn't get a chance to taste them. Damn!

[Solly Mack]

2. Cedar waxwings are beautiful. Drunk or not.

[a kennedy]

3. Cedar waxwings, they are such a beautiful bird....I hope they'll be ok.

[Frustratedlady]

4. We had that happen back in the 70s. They'll be OK.

Problem was, they kept going back for more. A lot ended up on the ground for a while.

[a kennedy]

5. Thank you......sure hope so.

[Demovictory9]

8. video shows the lil "drunk tank" they setup for them

[a kennedy]

9. Yeah, so happy some people are taking care of them....

thanks for sharing.

[magicarpet]

6. Cedar waxings same frat as Kav ?

[Hortensis]

7. Lol. Those birds need to sober up because we'll be

expecting them late this winter in Georgia when our shadbush and other berries ripen. Ours never get a chance to ferment. Now that the flocks know the ones we planted are here, each year we first see scouts coming by to check their ripening, and when it's time the whole flock swarms in day after day until completely ripened and "harvested."