Turks Suspect Bird Is Israeli Spy

Villagers were certain bee-eater was hiding a microchip
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted May 17, 2012 12:03 AM CDT
Turks Suspect Bird Is Israeli Spy
Which one is the spy?   (Wikipedia)

A tiny bird triggered a peck of trouble in a Turkish village when residents became convinced the creature was an Israeli spy. The dead European bee-eater was discovered wearing a metal band stamped with the word "Israel." Investigating villagers determined that the cheeper's nostrils were larger than average, possibly large enough to carry a microchip to aid in espionage. A careful examination by agricultural ministry experts concluded the bird was safe, and that the band was a common tracking measure for migratory birds—though it was tough to convince local police, officials told the BBC. (More European bee-eater stories.)

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