KTLA
- A home in Torrance, California, was invaded by over 800 birds.
- A video shows the birds surrounding the property and swooping in through the chimney.
- The birds eventually vacated the home but damaged many belongings with their poop, KTLA said.
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A California family had to stay in a hotel overnight after their home was invaded by hundreds of birds last Wednesday, CBS Los Angeles reported.
A video of the incident shows an enormous swarm of terrorizing starlings surrounding the house in Torrance, California.
The birds circle the house's chimney before swooping in. In another clip, the swifts can be seen flapping behind one of the property's windows.
-Ryder Christ (@RyderChristNews) April 27, 2021
Homeowner Patrick Belleville described the scene as a "nightmare" and said that he counted at least 800 birds in and around the house, CBS reported. "The birds were stuck to the ceiling, stuck to every wall. They were hanging onto pictures," he said.
Animal control specialists suggested keeping the property's doors and windows open but the birds refused to leave, KTLA said. So, instead, Belleville worked through the night removing the animals by hand. "I was just grabbing them and throwing them in the box, taking them outside, shaking them out of the box, and letting them go," he told CBS.
The family returned to the home after a night in a hotel but the birds continued to terrorize them for a couple of days, the media outlet said.
The birds eventually vacated the property but left behind an unpleasant trail. "You couldn't walk in any spot in the living room, the kitchen, and the hallway without stepping on bird droppings," Kerri, a woman who lives in the home, told KTLA.
Belleville said many belongings had to be thrown away after being destroyed by bird poop, CBS reported.