In other news ...
“Birds Can Get Deadly Drunk on Fermented Berries”
Last summer, British veterinary officials were called to a primary school in Cumbria, England, to solve the mystery of a dozen young blackbirds that were found dead, many with clear physical injuries.
Tests ruled out lethal infections, such as avian flu, and showed that the birds generally had been in good health before their premature death. But at the scene, the researchers recovered a live bird that was acting strangely. It was unsteady on its feet, it had to bring its wings to the ground to support itself, and it leaned against the walls of its enclosure at a wildlife rescue center. In short, the bird seemed drunk.
The researchers also discovered that all the dead birds had one thing in common: berries found in their guts that smelled fermented, suggesting the victims died from flying while intoxicated.
Cont. at http://www.livescience.com/24550-drunk-birds-fermented-berries.html
It’s been happening forever. I recall a news story from 40+ years about about birds going kamikaze into car windshields along a highway in New Orleans that was lined with berry bushes.
Happens in California. Birds love to eat the fermented manzanita berries, and then you can watch them flopping all over the ground. They can’t walk, let alone fly.