posted January 29, 2009 10:00 AM         

Hundreds of birds that dropped dead on Somerset County cars, porches and snow-covered lawns, alarming residents over the weekend, were all of a rather foul breed of fowl--the notorious European starling, which the United States Department of Agriculture killed on purpose.

The starling, a prominent figure in Shakespeare's "Henry IV," has become a royal nuisance in North America. They have been invading farms and pushing out native wildlife since a New York City group infatuated with the playwright released about 100 imported starlings in Central Park in 1890 and 1891.

posted January 29, 2009 11:47 AM         

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture was responsible for the bird deaths, a Franklin Township police officer who gave his name as Lt. Guglielmo said. He said further information would have to come from health officials.

Sunday night, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services confirmed the dead birds were part of a USDA program to reduce the European starling population. Donna Leusner said the state health department was not part of the culling program but had been notified of plans to feed the birds a "controlled substance."

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posted January 29, 2009 11:49 AM         

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She called the police and was told she would have to clean up the birds herself. Kepic said police read from a prepared statement that recommended using a shovel, gloves and plastic bags to get rid of the birds.

"What would happen if 400 fell? Would I have to pick those up?" she asked.

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