There are five birds sitting on electric wire. Two were shot and killed by a hunter. How many are left?

This is a classic lateral thinking riddle. When the hunter shoots two birds, the loud gunshot scares the remaining birds away, so none remain on the wire. The answer tests whether you simply do arithmetic (5-2=3) or consider the real-world consequence of the scenario. Options A (1) and D (3) are incorrect because they ignore the birds flying away. Option B (2) incorrectly assumes only the shot birds are gone.