Mystery of 1,000 dead birds
Source: Agencies |
January 3, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WILDLIFE officials are trying to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky over an Arkansas town in the United States.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said on Saturday that it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30pm the previous night. The birds fell over a 2-kilometer area, and an aerial survey indicated no dead birds were found outside of that area.
Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that "the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail."
The commission said that New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress.
Robby King, a wildlife officer for the agency, collected about 65 dead birds, which will be sent for testing to the state Livestock and Poultry Commission lab and the National Wildlife Health Center lab in Wisconsin.
Rowe said that similar events have occurred elsewhere and that test results "usually were inconclusive." She doubted the birds were poisoned.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said on Saturday that it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30pm the previous night. The birds fell over a 2-kilometer area, and an aerial survey indicated no dead birds were found outside of that area.
Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that "the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail."
The commission said that New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress.
Robby King, a wildlife officer for the agency, collected about 65 dead birds, which will be sent for testing to the state Livestock and Poultry Commission lab and the National Wildlife Health Center lab in Wisconsin.
Rowe said that similar events have occurred elsewhere and that test results "usually were inconclusive." She doubted the birds were poisoned.
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