In a scene straight out of an urban horror story, at least 80 hatchlings – mostly egret, heron, cormorants and barbets – were killed and over 500 eggs destroyed when residents of a housing society in Bandra called in a contractor to trim trees jutting into their compound.According to animal lovers who rushed to the spot, residents of the tony Nectar CHS were hassled by droppings and chirping by the birds which occupied several trees growing in the compound of the Avabai Petit School at Pali Hill, located next to the society.The heartless carnage began around 10 am on Monday. As the contractor started chopping the branches, hatchlings yet to learn how to fly started falling to the ground, and many died within minutes. “A resident who was pained by their plight called us and we rushed there,” said Pooja Sakpal, co-founder, Youth Organization in Defense of Animals (YODA).By the time Pooja and her team reached, the contractor had trimmed the branches and left, and the hatchlings were lying on the ground. “It was a very disturbing sight as most were dead. Around 500 eggs were broken. Fortunately, we were able to find 43 of them alive. Late in the evening, we recovered one more hatchling,” said Sakpal, who rushed the survivors to a private veterinarian.“It is really sad that the housing society trimmed the branches when birds were nesting in them. If the birds or the branches were really troubling them, they could have waited till the nesting season got over end-June,” she pointed out.Sources said some residents of Nectar CHS, which comprises three wings of 20 flats each, were bothered by the fact that birds nested in these trees. Their main complaint was of internal paths covered with bird droppings.Once the rescued hatchlings were stable, Sakpal and her team informed forest department officials while YODA co-founder Abhishek Soparkar approached Khar police station. “This act of cruelty attracts a criminal case under IPC sections 428 and 429 as well as the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972,” he said.According to Joint Municipal Commissioner S S Shinde, under whose jurisdiction the BMC Garden Department falls, said individuals cannot trim trees at all. “If trees on pvt property have to be trimmed, BMC should be informed beforehand. BMC will send their own team to trim the trees. No one can do it of their own accord,” he said.Trimming is allowed to facilitate tree growth. BMC steps in to judge how much and which branches should be trimmed. A live branch should not be trimmed by mistake,” Shinde said.Local BMC and garden department officials confirmed to Mirror that no one had come to them from Nectar CHS, and the trimming was done without their knowledge. “We will initiate action against the society if we receive a complaint,” an official said.According to ornithologists, several species of acquatic birds migrate to Mumbai from across the country, and even from elsewhere in the world, during the months of April, May and June to nest. Bandra, where thick foliage can be found, is a popular nesting ground.Sunjoy Monga, naturalist and organiser of the city’s annual bird race, told Mumbai Mirror that he had documented at least five species of birds at Avabai Petit School, which is a popular nesting site, or heronry.“Cattle egret, little egret, night heron, little cormorant, Indian cormorant and coppersmith barbet are commonly seen nesting around Petit school. The coppersmith barbet was named the ‘Bird of Mumbai’ during the annual bird race in 2012 by bird lovers because of its colourful plumage,” said Monga.When Mumbai Mirror contacted Amit Dhutia, joint secretary, Nectar CHS, he refused to comment. “All I can say is that it was a decision taken by the managing committee,” Dhutia said.However, society chairman Adil Khan said the managing committee had nothing to do with branches being trimmed. “We would never trim branches when birds are nesting in them. This was the doing of a couple of members who did so on their own accord and in a hurry. Had I been around, I wouldn’t have allowed such a thing to happen,” said Khan.