More Than 100 Dead Birds Found Off Calif. Highway

[SecularMotion]

Source: NY Times

GEYSERVILLE, Calif. (AP) — California wildlife officials are trying to figure out what caused the death of more than 100 birds found clustered together just off Highway 101.

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that California Highway Patrol officers found the dead birds near the roadway on Saturday and called in the state Department of Fish and Game to investigate.

The officers who found the birds described them as small with brown and black feathers. They were intact and had not been shot.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/01/11/us/AP-US-Mystery-Bird-Deaths.html?hp

[LiberalEsto]

1. Fireworks again?

This is getting ridiculous.

[liberal N proud]

2. These things happen naturally all the time

:sarcasm:

[valerief]

5. Yeah, seems to be every day now, in fact. But it's just Mother Nature. Move along. Nothing to see. n

[slackmaster]

3. F&G officers couldn't even identify the species?

Probably house sparrows.

[XemaSab]

7. I'm guessing starlings

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20110111/ARTICLES/110119965/1350?Title=100-dead-birds-found-on-Geyserville-road#

[NV Whino]

9. Burp–dupe

[NV Whino]

10. They would be starlings

They are very prevalent this time of year. And it's called Geyserville for a reason. It's a volcanic area with geysers. Not saying that was the cause, but it is a possibility. Also, it's been extremely cold with thick, cold, dank fog recently. Visibility, freezing moisture. Who knows :shrug:

[valerief]

4. New Year's Eve firework echoes, of course. nt

[Botany]

6. Fireworks again?

I would like to know if these bird death reports are a function of more media / internet reports
or is there something behind these deaths?

[Daemonaquila]

8. Actually, these things DO happen naturally.

The question is whether we're seeing a rash of such incidents because people are panicking after seeing news stories, so the media is "noticing" and reporting more of them to fan the flames and sell copy, or whether there really are an unusual number of such incidents happening close in time and possibly in location. The only thing we can do is watch and wait and ask questions. It is NOT useful to engage in conspiracy theories, make cracks about "fireworks again", assume causes, etc. This is a serious question - let's take a step back and ask questions more scientifically.

I have been a volunteer with an avian rehabilitation organization for some time. These incidents create huge questions for me. However, if there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that rampant speculation and people jumping to conclusions (in any direction) only make it more difficult to find the truth.

[greiner3]

12. I take it you have personal knowledge;

Of the various reasons why many such incidents happen. You are associated with this avian rehab assoc and I'm sure they have many vets that are available that can make diagnoses about the reasons why such incidents happen. The vets would perform a number of autopsies on the downed birds and be able to make assertions as to why there are these mass deaths.

I also volunteer at my state's wildlife center. While birds are not the only animal cared for and eventually released into the wild, they do make up a significant part of the population. Whenever the public brings in a dead animal that has no obvious determination of death, an autopsy is performed. This is done so that the fears of an epidemic is allayed. I do not know why your organization does not do these autopsies as well. I would bring it up to the leaders of your group and bring in more vets if there are not enough at this point.

[Javaman]

33. Necropsy. Autopsys are preformed on humans. nt

[DeSwiss]

11. K&R

- Another case of http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1344913/Animal-death-mystery-8k-turtle-doves-fall-dead-Italy-blue-stain-beaks.html">massive indigestion from birds over-eating again, no doubt.

[madrchsod]

13. i read on the intertubes that it was those gays that are causing this...

remember if it`s on the intertubes it must be true!

actually this happens a lot but never reported. now anything like this is reported and because of the internet the story becomes world wide.

[2QT2BSTR8]

15. I think you are referring to this....at least partially.

Not sure if there are more out there like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V17WGTvPHGg

[madrchsod]

24. yup and that woman spoiled my lunch...

[sarcasmo]

14. Lack of oxygen has been reported by some scientist. If lack of oxygen is the reason

shouldn't these fish and bird die off stories be gaining a little more steam?

[Gregorian]

16. I wonder if there's a new fertilizer that is killing them.

I was at this very spot a few weeks ago, and there were huge clouds of these birds feeding on what I assume was something related to the vineyards. I hadn't seen birds in those numbers in a long time.

[2QT2BSTR8]

17. Google tracking mass animal deaths

Sorry if this is a repost, but I could not find it anywhere. Not yet updated (as of 10:30am CST 1/11/11) with the OP post.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=201817256339889828327.0004991bca25af104a22b

[sarcasmo]

18. When you look at that map there are a whole lot more in the United States than

any where else on the Planet.

[LTX]

22. And according to that map -

there were no mass animal deaths at all in Russia, China, Ukraine, Poland, Nigeria, Libya, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Greenland, Antarctica, etc. Which just proves that the United States is the world's worst environmental sewer, and the aforementioned countries are ipso facto environmental utopias (or that no one is able to track them in Greenland and Antarctica, and that no one gives a damn in Russia, China, Ukraine, Poland, Nigeria, Libya, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, etc.)

[defendandprotect]

27. Looks like it's the Gulf "spill" -- BP oil ..... birds in these waters and trying to eat these fish!

[LTX]

29. Right. Red-wing Blackbirds and Starlings eating saltwater fish.

And then flying several hundred miles inland to drop dead after their species-defying seafood buffet in the gulf. Well, I guess there has to be villain, even if we just make one up.

[defendandprotect]

32. Actually, both, beyond seeds, eat insects ... and I think the red-wing

can be found in wetlands --

The chain of BP oil in the ocean is a long one --

and if there is a villan around, it is surely BP!



:nuke:

[snooper2]

36. Actually, I've been testing some next-gen sat phones

It seems every time I call to a specific rate center, these weird animal death stories keep popping up?

Could you help me figure this out?

[zappaman]

30. no

but nice try trying to connect the oil spill to this!

[freedomnorth]

31. There was also this map

but I think these are included in the google maps.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Most of the reports are of birds found on hihgways.

Bridges, "just off" or ON highways, streets, etc.
and apparently a large number in the same location.

wonder if there are bird carcasses lying around in remote woods, fields, etc that no one has yet found.

[defendandprotect]

28. Interesting question ...!!

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Iggo]

21. Yeah, but were there any shark attacks?

[hugo_from_TN]

23. Those all stopped happening after the summer of 01.

I suspect the mass bird deaths will mysteriously stop also once the media finds a new story.

[Iggo]

25. +

:toast:

[defendandprotect]

26. Capitalism's exploitation of nature has to be stopped ....

Corporate destruction of nature is simply destruction of ourselves --

we are part of nature!

[Taverner]

34. One scary thought - what if its the result of a lessened ozone layer?

Just a thought

[hayu_lol]

35. KGO(SF)on the news last night...

said that the birds had been examined and it was decided that they had flown into a semi.

Have no idea of the source.

[Roundtree65]

37. New 'fracing' chemicals in the air & water from the gas industry?

This type of gas extraction is taking off (in many places), so I hope this avenue is investigated.

http://gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking

[Roundtree65]

38. Article & map

http://redgreenandblue.org/2011/01/06/is-fracking-causing-blackbird-deaths-and-earthquakes/

This map is in the article - linking the gas extraction & recent mass die-offs.