Anglesey starling murmuration deaths mystery solved

Video caption, "It's as if they just dropped down dead from the sky"

The mystery of how 225 starlings died after being found dead on a lane has been solved after tests.

Dafydd Edwards, whose partner came across them on Anglesey in December, said it was as if "they had dropped down dead from the sky".

The Animal and Plant Health Agency carried out post mortem examinations on 41 of the starlings.

North Wales Police's Rob Taylor said they had gone into a dive murmuration together and hit the tarmac.

The rural crime team manager despite "widespread publicity and theories", some of the murmuration had not being able to pull back and died on impact.

"There was no content of avian flu, and there was no poisons found in the animals," he said.

"The vet who conducted the inquiry has confirmed that the injuries and death of the birds was caused by the birds striking the tarmac or the nearby bushes, and probably consistent with the birds avoiding either severe weather or a raptor in the area."

He added: "I hope that this will put a line under this.

"It's quite a common thing and happens all around the world."

Image source, PA Media

Image caption, Starling murmurations can be seen every year in the UK, from around October to February