SPCA: Sparrows possibly poisoned

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Hundreds of sparrows which were found dead in central Rotorua over Auckland Anniversary weekend could have been deliberately poisoned, the SPCA says.

About 200 of the birds fell from the trees and died near Rotorua Central Mall, and another 200 were found dead near a skatepark a short distance away on Ranolf St.

Rotorua SPCA inspector Nicola Martin said the deaths were consistent with the birds having been poisoned with commonly used pest control agent alphachloralose.

The poison, which could be laced in grain, acted on the nervous system and resulted in hypothermia. The birds could have been saved if they were warmed up but there was no one around that weekend because of the cyclone weather, she said.

The SPCA was told of the incident by a group of tourists, who were extremely distressed to find a carpet of dead birds.

"I also had a lady ringing yesterday because she said that the birds that she'd been feeding every day must have been among that lot because they didn't come to her house anymore."

The bodies were wet and decaying when the SPCA collected them so necropsies could not be carried out, meaning it could not be established with certainty how they died.

Ms Martin was at a loss to explain why anyone would want to kill the harmless creatures.

"Perhaps their car got pooped on one too many times, who knows?
"It is unnecessary and it really isn't very nice."

- NZPA