The birds in Xizhou, a charming town in Yunnan Province in extreme southwestern China, had no such restraints.

WSJ: Cormorant Fishing in Yunnan Province, China

Bungay town councillor Deirdre Shepherd said the birds had been "dumped" without food or shelter and two were already dead.

BBC: Hens dumped at Norfolk's 'chicken roundabout'

But venture five miles south of Bodega Bay on Hwy 1 to the tiny town of Bodega and you will find two Birds icons: the schoolhouse and the church along Bodega Lane.

BBC: For the birds: Hitchcock��s California

More to the liking of Alice, for reasons that are evident in its name, was the Ice Cream Cruise that putted around the town harbour for close-ups of boats, houses and birds.

BBC: The kid-friendly perfection of Nantucket

The birds appeared at the weekend at a roundabout at Ditchingham, close to the Suffolk town of Bungay.

BBC: Hens dumped at Norfolk's 'chicken roundabout'