Hundreds of dead birds litter Rome street after they were ‘scared to death by New Year’s Eve fireworks’ despite ban

 

Hundreds of dead birds cover Rome street. Hundreds of dead birds were found lying around the Termini train station on Via Cavour in Rome on New Year's night. The exact cause of death is unclear, but Diego Finecchia believed it was linked to firework displays that took place in the city to mark the beginning of the new year.
Rome had announced a fireworks ban ahead of New Year's Eve as a means of keeping citizens, animals and the city's archaeological heritage safe, but the ban was largely ignored.
The birds are thought to have been mostly starlings.

The cause of the deaths has not yet been confirmed, but the International Organisation for the Protection of Animals said firecrackers and fireworks had been let off in a nearby neighbourhood used by birds to roost.
Loredana Diglio, a spokeswoman for the body, said: “It can be that they died from fear.
“They can fly up together and knock against each other, or hit windows or electric power lines.
“Let’s not forget they can also die of heart attacks.”
The organisation also described the incident as a “massacre”, the Associated Press reported.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds says that there is “little evidence to suggest that fireworks harm wild birds or affect their conservation status”.