January 5, 2011

Yikes - bird deaths

Now this is bizarre. First in Arkansas (New York Times):
For Arkansas Blackbirds, the New Year Never Came
Times Square had the ball drop, and Brasstown, N.C., had its descending possum. But no place had a New Year’s Eve as unusual, or freakishly disturbing, as Beebe, Ark.

Around 11 that night, thousands of red-winged blackbirds began falling out of the sky over this small city about 35 miles northeast of Little Rock. They landed on roofs, roads, front lawns and backyards, turning the ground nearly black and terrifying anyone who happened to be outside.
And then (London Daily Mail):
Mystery of 100,000 dead fish which washed up on Arkansas river bank
Over 100,000 fish have been found washed up on the river banks on a 20-mile stretch of the Arkansas River, near Ozark.

Officials are investigating the eerie happening but experts believe that disease is most likely to be the cause.

The drum fish were discovered by a tug boat operator on Thursday - a day before thousands of blackbirds fell from the sky only 125 miles away, in Little Rock.
And then (CBS News):
Louisiana Latest Place to Rain Dead Birds
State biologists are trying to determine what killed an estimated 500 birds that littered a quarter-mile stretch of highway in Pointe Coupee Parish.

The birds included red-winged blackbirds and starlings.

The birds were found Monday along Louisiana Highway 1, about 300 miles south of Beebe, Ark., where more than 3,000 blackbirds fell from the sky three days earlier. Authorities say examinations showed those birds suffered internal injuries that formed deadly blood clots.
And now (MS/NBC):
The plot thickens? Dead birds found in Sweden
It isn't easy being a bird.

First, New Year's Eve fireworks were blamed in central Arkansas for making thousands of blackbirds confused, crashing into homes, cars and each other. Then 300 miles to the south in Louisiana, power lines likely killed about 450 birds, littering a highway near Baton Rouge.

It's almost certainly a coincidence the events happened within days of each other, Louisiana's state wildlife veterinarian Jim LaCour said Tuesday. "I haven't found anything to link the two at this point."

To add to the mystery, 50-100 jackdaws, a bird species in the crow family, fell dead in central Sweden late Tuesday night, English-language Swedish news website The Local reported Wednesday.
I know that this is probably coincidence and that the cause will be discovered soon but still -- odd... Posted by DaveH at January 5, 2011 1:34 PM
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