Witness says vehicle killed flock of starlings

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri man says he knows what killed 50 to 100 birds at a Springfield intersection because he saw it happen.

Mike Davis of Rogersville said he was driving about 50 feet behind a small red pickup truck Saturday morning when a large flock of starlings flew across the street.

Davis told the Springfield News-Leader the birds swooped right in front of the pickup and about half of them were killed. He said he ran over some of the birds, as well.

Some who saw the dead birds contacted conservation officials to find out how they died. Nature Center manager Linda Chorice collected one of the dead birds in case someone wanted to test it.

But now she said it appears the birds weren't poisoned or harmed intentionally.

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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com