5000 blackbirds fell from the sky! Strange

[farmer]

strange story from CNN;

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/03/wh ... m-the-sky/

Is the sky falling?

[egret]

Yes, I heard this on radio

very odd indeed


Egret

[angieinto]

I was reading about this too, the article I read said 2000 Red-winged blackbirds. So sad.  

[Rob'in'To]

Sad.  

I think it was last year that they found approximately 80 Grackles all dead in one spot, in a US town, right around their city hall.  Weird and sad.  I never looked into if they found a reason why.

:cry:

[farmer]

Tonight the news said there was also a town in Lousiana that had dead birds too, but not as many.

[Raven11:11]

appears that some scumbag may have poisoned them via a water source of feeders.  

Seriously, when I hear these stories , like the cat nailed to a utility pole in the states a few weeks ago I would say the person /s responsible deserve the exact same treatment.

An eye for an eye. Thats just me. my blood boils.   :twisted:

[Sahria]

I read that over one thousand fish of one species also died close to the town.

When we were kids and would take a trip anywhere I would count all of the Red-winged Blackbirds we saw along the roadsides. I guess you could say they were really the first birds I took notice of. It's a shame.

[Axeman]

Someone for the state wildlife department stated that although they have no idea yet what caused either die off, they were definitely not related...they don't know anything about the cause but can say they are def. not related...the same spokesperson went on to describe it as a really interesting coincidence...do they give these people an aptitude test and if you show aptitude, you're not hired?

[Bluffs Birder]

I found the following item on Sympatico's webpage:


Power line blamed for bird deaths in Louisiana days after flock dies in Arkansas
04/01/2011 4:50:00 PM

Janet McConnaughey, The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana's state wildlife veterinarian says at least some of an estimated 450 birds that died near Baton Rouge may have flown into a power line.

Jim LaCour said Tuesday the grackles, starlings, brown-headed cowbirds and red-winged blackbirds had broken beaks and backs. He says some live birds had broken wings but ran too fast to catch.

The bird deaths Monday came a few days after about 3,000 blackbirds fell from the sky in central Arkansas. Scientists there say celebratory fireworks on New Year's Eve likely sent the birds into such a tizzy that they crashed into homes, cars and each other before plummeting to their deaths.

Officials say such massive wildlife kills are not uncommon.

[Axeman]

Thems some big power lines....kill 5000 birds? Does this make sense?

[egret]

Well
sorry I dont believe
what they are telling us


Egret

[Rob'in'To]

Yahoo had a posting about this, blaming the fireworks as one theory.  What was really sad was the 300 people who commented afterwards.  It was sickening after a few pages of skimming the comments.  Gov't testing, racially motivated starting with killing blackbirds and next on to black humans, KFC rounding them up for a Blackbird wrap, and of course terrorists, along with so many other theories.  Someone in the initial Yahoo report said "good riddance to those birds" with complaints of knee high piles of bird poop on his front lawn as hundreds live in his tree.  Another wished that if it were the Gov't to next try it on Canada Geese.  

Curious if the truth will ever be discovered and shared or will this just be forgotten in another week?

[Axeman]

I'm guessing it has to be a natural phenomena...it can't be poison...they were all physically stressed...so something happened to them...physically I mean...and the sheer number...how can you poison that many birds in secrecy? Or maybe some sloppy corporate polluter?

[Bluffs Birder]

We may never know the truth...unless Jesse Ventura looks in to it!  :wink:

Walter

[GStuart]

And now black birds are falling dead in Sweden.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/06/3107223.htm?section=justin