Residents of Richmond, a Bay Area city across San Francisco Bay from the tech hub of Silicon Valley, are living through a terrifying mystery. They’ve found up to 50 dead birds each month in recent months. The Contra Costa County sheriff’s office is actively investigating the cause of these unexplained avian fatalities. Wildlife enforcement officers have gotten involved to help reveal the true story.
It was residents who initially raised the alarm about the abuses, which led to the sheriff’s office investigating in the first place. For Black resident Maximillian Bolling, what he saw was a repulsive reality. Some birds that land on a power line literally explode seconds later. This disturbing paradigm shift has led to concerns about the impacts on our beloved local wildlife.
Security camera footage backed up the reports, showing a bird plummeting from a power line after a fiery popping noise. One of the birds of interest that was found dead was a mourning dove and another was a European starling. All of these tragedies have led concerned residents to pump out increasingly official-looking warning signs. They’re especially motivating one another to report any other discoveries of dead birds.
The necropsy investigation comes amid larger concerns about bird health nationwide. When an outbreak of bird flu this spring wiped out half of all egg-laying chickens, egg prices skyrocketed. As you might imagine, this context adds to the concern about the recent bird deaths in Richmond.
The local utility provider, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), has sided with the community’s concerns as well. Spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said PG&E welcomed the issue raised by Richmond customers. She recognized the public’s concern about the recent spate of bird deaths.
As residents wait on the outcome of the further investigation, they will continue to be aware of their environment. Alarmist claims and recent mortality events in wild birds have caused concern and fear in the avian community. This toxic circumstance has produced a climate of fear among community members.