Drinking and Louisiana go hand in hand. Actually, during festival season, which it is now, the saying should be Drinking and Louisiana goes two-handed in hand. It's true we do love our cocktails and daiquiris here along the bayou. But apparently, festival goers and council members from Youngsville aren't the only ones who enjoy a bit of a buzz.

Thom Masat via Unsplash.com
Thom Masat via Unsplash.com
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Apparently, some species of birds enjoy getting all liquored up, texting their exes, and crashing into windows, poles, and a lot of other objects. Okay, we made up the part about texting their exes but the other part about drunk birds crashing into things is legit.

Jan Meeus via Unsplash.com
Jan Meeus via Unsplash.com
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In fact, the problem has gotten to be so bad in Georgia that the Georgia Department of Natural Resources felt compelled to offer this warning on its Facebook page.

What happens to the birds is they eat fruit that has been left on trees to rot. During the rotting process the sugars in the fruit ferment and create alcohol. The birds eat the berries and just like a cheap date it only takes a couple for the boozy birds to start having issues.

You might also notice some boozy birds if you have Nandina plants in your yard. Those plants that are often used in landscapes around Louisiana and the Gulf South in general have bright red berries. The Nandinas draw cyanide from the soil and that gets into the berries. A few of those berries can make a bird tipsy, enough of them can actually kill a bird. By the way, the Nandina berries aren't good for humans either, so don't eat them.

Amber Malaqauist via Unsplash.com
Amber Malaqauist via Unsplash.com
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As far as what you can do to protect the birds from harm there really isn't much. If you notice birds crashing into a window at your home or office you might try closing the blinds or curtains so the birds don't see the window as an "opening".

 

You might also want to avoid parking your vehicle beneath trees where the boozy birds go to "recover". Just like in humans, alcohol can sometimes make controlling bodily functions difficult, and since the birds aren't flying away, they'll just sit in the trees above your car and leave their calling cards, if you know what I mean.  Or you could follow the advice of the lady in the video and put a fake snake on your dashboard. That might also deter bad humans too.

And speaking of drinking, as we mentioned it's a pastime here in Louisiana there are a lot of places you can do that. But it's not the only thing we have to offer.

Only in Louisiana Experiences for Visitors