This story was AOL story from AP. A mystery.
There was no new information Sunday on the cause of a massive blackbird die-off, during which an undetermined number of fell from the sky Friday night onto the town of Beebe, northeast of Little Rock.
Beginning at around 11:30 p.m., enforcement officers with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission began getting reports of dead red-winged blackbirds falling in Beebe.
Thousands of the birds fell dead before midnight. Most of the birds were dead, but some were still alive when officers arrived.
The blackbirds fell over a one-mile area in the city.
State officials hope to have a preliminary report about the cause of death after testing starts on Monday.
AGFC wildlife officer Robby King responded to the reports of the falling birds.
"Shortly after I arrived there were still birds falling from the sky," King said. King collected about 65 dead birds that will be sent to the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission lab and the National Wildlife Health Center lab in Madison, Wis.
The AGFC has flown over the area to gauge the scope of the event. There were no other birds found outside of the initial area.
AGFC ornithologist Karen Rowe said that strange events similar to this one have occurred a number of times across the globe. "Test results usually were inconclusive, but the birds showed physical trauma and that the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail," Rowe said.
Another scenario may have been that New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area may have startled the birds from their roost. The birds may have died from stress.
Rowe said that it didn't appear as though the birds died of any poisoning or other event. "Since it only involved a flock of blackbirds and only involved them falling out of the sky it is unlikely they were poisoned, but a necropsy is the only way to determine if the birds died from trauma or toxin," she said.
The City of Beebe has hired U.S. Environmental Services to begin the cleanup and dispose of the dead birds. The environmental firm will go door-to-door to pick up the birds that are still in yards and on roof tops.
There was no new information Sunday on the cause of a massive blackbird die-off, during which an undetermined number of fell from the sky Friday night onto the town of Beebe, northeast of Little Rock.
Beginning at around 11:30 p.m., enforcement officers with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission began getting reports of dead red-winged blackbirds falling in Beebe.
Thousands of the birds fell dead before midnight. Most of the birds were dead, but some were still alive when officers arrived.
The blackbirds fell over a one-mile area in the city.
State officials hope to have a preliminary report about the cause of death after testing starts on Monday.
AGFC wildlife officer Robby King responded to the reports of the falling birds.
"Shortly after I arrived there were still birds falling from the sky," King said. King collected about 65 dead birds that will be sent to the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission lab and the National Wildlife Health Center lab in Madison, Wis.
The AGFC has flown over the area to gauge the scope of the event. There were no other birds found outside of the initial area.
AGFC ornithologist Karen Rowe said that strange events similar to this one have occurred a number of times across the globe. "Test results usually were inconclusive, but the birds showed physical trauma and that the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail," Rowe said.
Another scenario may have been that New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area may have startled the birds from their roost. The birds may have died from stress.
Rowe said that it didn't appear as though the birds died of any poisoning or other event. "Since it only involved a flock of blackbirds and only involved them falling out of the sky it is unlikely they were poisoned, but a necropsy is the only way to determine if the birds died from trauma or toxin," she said.
The City of Beebe has hired U.S. Environmental Services to begin the cleanup and dispose of the dead birds. The environmental firm will go door-to-door to pick up the birds that are still in yards and on roof tops.
