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The Peregrine Chick:
Not again! Thousands of birds fall dead in Arkansas on New Year's Eve
by Michael Sheridan / New York Daily News
Sunday, January 1 2012, 2:49 PM
Similar mass death occurred on New Year's Eve in 2010; experts believe fireworks scared birds, caused panic
Thousands of blackbirds dropped dead on New Year's Eve in Arkansas in an incident eerily similar to one that occurred at the same time a year ago.
The disturbing deaths in Beebe, a city northwest of Little Rock, were sparked after loud fireworks sent flocks of the small birds into a panic, scientists said. This caused them to collide with each other, as well as power lines, houses and cars.
Officer John Weeks said the first reports of "birds on the streets" came around 7 p.m. as residents celebrated the year's end with fireworks in their neighborhoods, The Associated Press reported.
Police worked with animal control workers to locate and clean up the bird bodies.
On New Year's Eve 2010, an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 birds died from "blunt trauma" after they were similarly spooked by fireworks.
Eyewitnesses told authorities "the birds were hitting mailboxes, cars, basketball goals, houses, trees," Keith Stephens of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission told the Daily News last January. "The trauma shows that they were in flight when they collided with something that killed them."
The bird deaths, which were followed only days later by hundreds of more bird deaths in Louisiana, sparked conspiracy theories ranging from the Biblical end of the world to government coverups.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/thousands-birds-fall-dead-arkansas-year-eve-article-1.999476#ixzz1iFTTPQ7p
birdcamfan:
OMG it looks like it's going to eat the Mom! This is what it must be like for Moms of twins/triplets.
susha:
They're beautiful to look at, but nasty!
Leana:
When I see something like this I just can't believe that nature can be so cruel! How can those poor little reed warblers even hope to feed that enormous "child" of theirs. And the fact the cuckoo gets rid of their eggs when it hatches. So mean!!! But what a valiant effort the warblers are making. Most amazing photos!
The Peregrine Chick:
Actually, this really is a cuckoo - the story is from the UK ...
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/cuckoo/
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds website ...
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