MILLVILLE — Michelle Cavalieri was taking her son for a walk at around 8:30 Tuesday morning when she saw dozens of birds fall from the sky onto the streets of her Peach Drive neighborhood.

Small black birds with red wings continued to fall for about an hour, Cavalieri said.

“They would fall, then they would get back up and try to fly, and then they would fall on the ground again and were just paralyzed,” she said. “It was like a horror movie.”

A “significant amount” of birds died in the incident Tuesday morning, confirmed Lt. Ed Zadroga of the Millville Police Department.

Cavalieri estimated she saw about 40 birds in the street. Another resident, Russel Knoll, estimated 60.

Local officials were notified by residents of the alarming situation, and the Millville Police Department issued a reverse 911 call to residents in the area stating, “Millville Police are asking all residents to stay indoors due to an odor and the death of several birds in the area.”

The Millville Police Department, Vineland Hazardous Material Team, the Cumberland County Department of Health and the Cumberland County Public Information Officer were called to the scene, while the county Office of Emergency Management, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife also were notified of the occurrence.

Upon investigating the situation, the Cumberland County Department of Health reported that the incident was caused by the application of a granular pesticide, Avitrol Double Strength Corn Chops, by Ingraldi Farms in Millville.

According to the Department of Health, the pesticide is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is intended to be used for bird control for blackbirds, Brewer’s blackbirds, cowbirds, grackles, red-winged black birds, rusty blackbirds, starlings and yellow-headed blackbirds.

Ingraldi Farms has used Avian Control, a ready-to-use liquid repellent intended to be used for control of geese, gulls, pigeons, crows, starlings, house sparrows, blackbirds, grackles and house finches, in the past, according to the county Department of Health.

The farm is licensed through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to apply pesticides on its farms and has been working with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to alleviate the crop damage done by large flocks of birds, county officials reported on Tuesday evening. These bird-control actions have included auditory shock, hunting and pesticides.

Ingraldi Farms reportedly has estimated a loss of $15,000 thus far this year from birds eating their crops.

Resident Kristie Knoll, who was walking with Cavalieri when the incident occurred, said she had “never seen (anything) like” what happened after this most recent application of pesticide.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening,” Kristie said. “They were dropping like crazy, one after another.”

Kristie said the birds were falling on Peach Drive and Emily Drive, which are adjacent to each other. Darlene Knoll said she smelled gas, which she believes was from the pesticides, when she saw birds on the bird feeder fall to the ground and have respiratory problems, she said.

Kristie said she believes Ingraldi Farms should change its methods to keep birds away.

“I don’t think they should be spraying that stuff if it’s killing the birds,” she said. “I don’t know what else it could do to the other animals out there.”

County officials emphasized the pesticide applied Monday was used legally, but bird specimens were collected and will be sent to the state Department of Environmental Protection Laboratory for testing, the county Health Department said.

A second reverse 911 call was issued by the Cumberland County Department of Health on Tuesday, advising residents, “…A granular pesticide intended and approved to cull birds has been applied in your area, causing an unusually high volume of dead birds. Remember to keep children and pets away from dead animals.”

The call went on to assure residents, “The birds are not toxic, but decaying animals are unsafe,” and instructed residents wear gloves and place dead birds in the trash for disposal. Residents should thoroughly wash their hands after handling any dead animal, the Department of Health advised.

Ingraldi Farms declined to comment directly to The News on Tuesday.

For more information, contact the Cumberland County Department of Health at 856-327-7080.

Staff Writer Lauren T. Taniguchi contributed to this report.

Contact Dan Rogers at 856-451-1000 ext. 520 or at drogers@southjerseymedia.com.