by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna

In what could be described as an outbreak epidemic of the flying bird is being recorded, following the sudden death of doves in numbers in Jaba Road part of Ungwan Boro, Sabon Tasha area of Kaduna State.

Also popularly known as “Pigeons bird,” our correspondent who is a star witness reported that six of them have been reportedly found dead in the neighbourhood within a day or two in the area, and numbers are still counting.

According to eyewitness account, who expressed surprise about the incident, noted that some of the birds suddenly fell down from electric wires and died, while fresh bodies of others were found littered around building premises and environment.

“I found two yesterday and two this morning, and could see that the one on top of the roof, too, where some other ones gathered around, is now dead or dying,” he said, while pointing at the direction.

“I saw my neighbour who was also throwing away one of the dead birds about yesterday, too,” he lamented.

Efforts to find out the cause(s) of the sudden deaths, which came to the glaring knowledge of the residents about last Monday, was futile, due to lack of expert vets doctors at the time of filing the reports.

However, an eyewitness woman, bearing Mama Israel, explained that they’ve not witnessed such sudden death of the birds in that magnitude before, until now.

Scientifically, “Columbidae (/kəˈlʌmbɪdiː/), is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. 

“It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that, in some species, feature fleshy ceres. 

“They primarily feed on seeds, fruits, and plants. The family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalayan,” it stated.