[Mike]

Hundreds of birds found dead in Italy
4:33 p.m. CST, January 8, 2011

ROME (AP) — Hundreds of dead turtle doves have been found in a town in northern Italy.

An Italian association for bird protection said Saturday that over 700 dead birds have been picked up since Jan. 1 from the streets of Faenza, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Bologna.

Scientists were carrying out tests to figure out why the birds died but Nadia Caselli of the bird association said they appear to have overeaten sunflower seeds, which damage their livers and kidneys. The seeds are mostly waste from a nearby oil factory.

Unlike stronger birds like pigeons, turtle doves are also debilitated by cold weather.

The mass deaths follow similar cases recently in the United States and Sweden.

Copyright © 2011, WSBT-TV
Source: http://www.kwch.com/news/wsbt-hundreds-of-birds-found-dead-i-01082011,0,3958596.story