Hundreds of migratory birds take over interior of California home

April 28 (UPI) -- A California family said they are dealing with an unusual infestation after hundreds of migratory birds swooped down their chimney and took up residence inside the house.

A woman who asked to be identified only as Kerri said she returned to her Torrance home with her husband and their child April 21 to discover birds flying around inside the house.

Kerri captured video showing dozens of birds swooping down into the home through her chimney.

"It's so hard to explain. If you don't see it with your own eyes, you'd never believe it," Kerri told KTLA-TV.

Kerri said the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office referred her to county animal control, but officials told her to just leave her doors open and allow the birds to leave on their own.

She said the birds don't appear to want to leave, and have been making a mess of the home.

"You couldn't walk in any spot in the living room, the kitchen and the hallway without stepping on bird droppings," Kerri said.

The birds are believed to be Vaux's swift, a species known for roosting in chimneys in large groups.

Firefighters in Montecito, Calif., responded to a similar problem Sunday evening when a homeowner reported about 1,000 birds that swooped into their chimney and became stuck behind the fireplace cover.

The Montecito Fire Department said the birds were left overnight to see if they would fly back up the chimney on their own, but returned Monday to find that the birds hadn't moved.

Firefighters and animal control officers ended up designing a chute system to allow the birds to make their way from the fireplace to the back door.