Birds Poisoned at Walmart

Sixty birds found dead

Published: January 13, 2006

By AMY LINDBLOM

State and county officials are investigating whether more than 60 black starlings and six red-wing blackbirds were intentionally poisoned at a Sonora shopping center earlier this week.

On Tuesday, 12 dead black starlings were found in the parking lot around Wal-Mart, at The Crossroads shopping center on Sanguinetti Road, prompting calls to the Sonora Police Department.

Then, on Wednesday, about 50 more dead birds were discovered, Police Chief Mace McIntosh said.

While picking up the birds, officials found a pile of grain coated in a greenish substance in a parking stall about 150 feet from the store — between Wal-Mart's front entrance and the garden store entrance, McIntosh said.

Tuolumne County Agricultural Commissioner Gary Caseri said the grain is being tested to determine what the substance is. It appears to be strychnine, he said.

Strychnine-laced grain is commonly used to kill rodents. It is sold in hardware and feed stores, although purchasers need to have a permit to use it, Caseri said.

Wal-Mart does not sell the grain, a store representative said.

As part of their probe, investigators plan to talk to the dozen or so people in the county who have obtained a permit to buy strychnine.

Caseri and California Department of Fish and Game Warden Josh Nicholas said the poison may have been intentionally placed in the parking lot.

Although more than 50 birds were found dead, an equal number could have been harmed but not found, Nicholas said.

Red-wing blackbirds are a protected species in California and harming them is a misdemeanor.

Starlings are not protected. Nicholas said starlings are an invasive species that often bully other birds and usurp their nests.

All but a few of the dead birds, kept for purposes of the investigation, have been destroyed. The tainted grain has also been removed.

Yesterday, Tuolumne County Health Officer Told Stolp expressed concern that the poison was found in an open, easily accessible area.

People could have been harmed, he said.

Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Sonora Police Department at 583-8143, or leave an anonymous tip with the Fish and Game Department tip line, (888) DFG-CALTIP.

Contact Amy Lindblom at alindblom [at] uniondemocrat.com or 588-4527.