Flock of homing pigeons prompts exit ramp closure in Florida

June 30 (UPI) -- Authorities in Florida said a highway exit ramp was closed for about 3 hours after a flock of dozens of pigeons fell from the back of a vehicle and scattered across the roadway.

The Volusia County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post that calls began coming in about 11 p.m. Tuesday reporting that dozens of "white doves" were flying at cars on Interstate 95 near the International Speedway Boulevard exit.

Deputies responded to the scene alongside Volusia County Animal Services, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and discovered the reported birds were actually a flock of homing pigeons.

"It is believed a crate carrying upwards of 100 homing pigeons fell off a truck, bursting open on the road," the sheriff's office said. "Because birds roost at night, the pigeons stayed on the road, until bright lights from vehicles startled the birds, causing them to fly into the air and create a hazard for drivers."

The exit ramp was closed for about 3 hours while authorities worked to round up the birds. They ended up capturing 73 of the pigeons and taking them to Volusia County Animal Services.

Animal Services officials said they are now trying to find the owner of the avians. The pigeons were not banded and the vehicle that was carrying them was not identified. Officials are appealing to the public for information on the origins of the pigeons.