We had to check the calendar quickly before passing along this story from the Duluth News Tribune: the birds are drunk at this time of the year.

The police in Gilbert, Minn., are getting so many calls about disoriented birds, that they put out a news release.

Is this true? Are the birds drunk on fermented berries? Yes, at least one expert tells the paper.

“Birds actually do get literally intoxicated when they eat berries that have started fermenting, and that does lead to drunken behavior,” said Laura Erickson, a Duluth birding expert.

She recommends people put up stickers on windows to deter the inebriated fowl.

[Update: Not so very drunk (Laura Erickson’s For the Birds)]

Related: Drunk birds (Bird Chick blog)