Thousands of Dead Birds Fall From Sky in Arkansas

Stumped officials speculate that weather, stress could be cause

By Kate Schwartz, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 2, 2011 1:40 PM CST

(Newser) – The town of Beebe, Ark., is home to about 4,500 people—and about the same number of dead birds. State wildlife officials went door-to-door today to collect the creatures from rooftops, trees, and yards. Officials estimate that between 4,000 and 5,000 birds—mostly blackbirds—began tumbling from the sky late on New Year's Eve and into the day yesterday. Officials remain stumped.

"It could be weather-related or possibly stress-related," says an Arkansas Game and Fish Commission rep, who added that no physical injuries were spotted on the birds collected so far. "There were some fireworks shot off at midnight and it is possible that the birds were on their roost and stressed so bad that it could have killed them." The birds will be sent to testing facilities in Little Rock and Madison, Wis., tomorrow, reports Reuters.

In Beebe, some 4,000 birds fell from the sky. (©erix!)

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Showing 3 of 23 comments

scallywag

Jan 3, 2011 6:28 PM CST

Which has us immediately wondering who is to say that the two instances are or are not directly related, but nevertheless disturbing in that a large group of creatures can be whitewashed out of the sky or water. And what does this suggest about mankind’s ability to equally withstand internal or exogenous shocks that come and go? After all if birds and fish that have been around for millions and millions of years are coming to peril how are we as humans to withstand an unlikely series of humans suddenly falling dead whilst walking down the sidewalk? http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2011/01/what-caused-4000-red-winged-blackbirds-to-plummet-their-death/

DontLikeYou___

Jan 3, 2011 5:04 PM CST

Clearly this is also Bush's fault.

Jan 3, 2011 12:13 AM CST

Maybe God is smiting Arkansas.

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Thousands of Dead Birds Fall From Sky in Arkansas

Stumped officials speculate that weather, stress could be cause

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Arkansas • birds • dead animals • dead birds • animal deaths in Arkansas • mysterious animal deaths

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