Go Home, Birds, You’re Drunk. Stop Eating Those Fermented Berries. For Real.

We’ve all been there: you’ve had one (or three) too many glasses of red wine or eggnog; it would be better for everyone involved if you just went home.

You’ll never believe it, but it’s actually a pretty common struggle for some birds, too. Apparently, in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, Bohemian waxwings are getting tipsy on fermented berries from rowan trees.

While it might sound like a hilarious situation…

10,000 Birds

It’s being taken very seriously by the territory’s Animal Health Unit.

National Geographic/RIA NOVOSTI, ALAMY

They’ve repurposed hamster cages to serve as sobering cells for the drunken birds, ensuring they stay safe during their intoxicated state. While under the influence, the birds can’t fly straight. It’s not uncommon for them to fly straight into walls to their death.

While a lot of the older birds seem to do fine with the berries as their main source of food, having built up a tolerance of sorts, the younger, smaller birds can’t seem to hold their fermented fruit.

But, again, in all seriousness, if you come across a bird with a beak that’s stained red (not unlike your favorite aunt with wine-stained teeth and lips), it’s best to follow the bird experts’ advice; keep them safe in a cardboard box with holes until they sober up and can drive fly home safely.