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CNN Live Today

In California, Homeowner Having Invasion of Feathered Kind

Aired April 19, 2002 - 12:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In California, a homeowner is having an invasion of a feathered kind. Thousands of chimney swifts have taken over a family's home in Palm Desert.

Kathleen Mitts (ph) with affiliate station KMIR has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KATHLEEN MITTS, KMIR CORRESPONDENT: They may be harmless, but these birds are better off outside than in. Debbie Holbert called 911 after the house filled up with the little black creatures.

DEBBIE HOLBERT: Put in a movie in. My daughter was in the livingroom. And she goes, "Ah, there's birds in here."

And I came in and I saw three. And then all of a sudden, there were 30. Then there were 300 of them. And it was just like, "Ah."

MITTS: They're on the floor, on the ceiling, hanging from the walls. These creepy looking birds are everywhere.

(on camera): The only way to get these birds out of the house is to take a broom and hit them, and oh my God.

(voice-over): If you think that I was scared, think about the poor people inside when the house was full of flapping wings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, we just tried to pick them up. Well, maybe they're harmless, but they, you know, -- it's kind of spooky I guess. You got things hitting you in the head and landing on your back. And you know, poor little thing's got mixed up somewhere.

MITTS: Neighbors watched on, as the Florida birds took a dive right down into the chimney.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A swarm, it was a black cloud. Not hundreds, but thousands.

HOLBERT: All the neighbors helped, came over. We tried to -- they were coming in the fireplace, tried to block it off, catching them, throwing them outside, brooming them. I mean, the window panes were solid.

MITTS: Kathleen Mitt, KMIR-6 News. (END VIDEOTAPE)

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