Dorchester Bird Deaths Remain Mystery After Lab Finds Cause 'Undetermined'
DORCHESTER (CBS) -- The Wisconsin toxicology lab that Boston officials asked for help in determining what caused 40 birds to fall out of the sky two months ago was unable to draw any conclusions in their mysterious deaths.
As many as 40 birds fell out of the sky on Bakersfield Street in Dorchester on September 8. Others were found sickly and lethargic. All of the birds were grackles.
Stomach content from the birds was sent to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
Investigators had been looking at the possibility of the birds ingesting a chemical agent known as avitrol, which is commonly used to remove pests--but the lab found the birds' cause of death "undetermined."
Tests conducted by The Animal Rescue League of Boston and Inspectional Services for viruses like West Nile and bacteria like salmonella all came back negative.