Mystery in Spain’s Ferrol after 200 birds fall dead from the sky outside a local hospital

A FLOCK of more than 200 dead starlings fell like rain on pedestrians and cars in Ferrol (A Coruña), with investigators left clueless as to why the birds died.

The starlings were also scattered across the flowerbeds at the back of the Juan Cardona Hospital in the bizarre incident which occurred on November 26,

The matter has been handed over to the environmental department, which collected two dead birds for analysis and autopsies to determine the causes of the mass death. 

The president of the local residents’ association, Mapi Rodiguez, said she cannot explain what could have happened.

“They came out of the trees in the emergency area of the hospital, flew a few metres and plummeted to the pavement”, she said.

“The birds have been collected and we are now waiting to find out what happened, but we are told it won’t be easy,” said municipal sources. 

A similar event occurred in February last year in the northeastern region of Catalunya when dozens of starlings appeared dead, scattered across a  highway between Tarragona and Salou. At the time, there was suggestion the mass deaths may be linked to toxic fumes from a nearby petrochemical plant. 

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