More than 1,000 dead birds fall from sky in Arkansas.

[RecycleMichael]

More than 1,000 dead birds fall from sky in Arkansas       
   
BEEBE, Ark. – Wildlife officials are trying to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky over an Arkansas town. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said Saturday that it began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30 p.m. the previous night. The birds fell over a 1-mile area of Beebe, and an aerial survey indicated that no other dead birds were found outside of that area.

Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that "the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail." The commission said that New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress.

Robby King, a wildlife officer for the agency, collected about 65 dead birds, which will be sent for testing to the state Livestock and Poultry Commission lab and the National Wildlife Health Center lab in Madison, Wis. Rowe said that similar events have occurred elsewhere and that test results "usually were inconclusive." She said she doubted the birds were poisoned.

[patric]

You see that around brightly-lit skyscrapers, where migrating birds are confused by the lights and circle until they drop from exhaustion, but that doesnt sound like the case here.
Was there an unusually high concentration of billboards, or a nearby casino?

[nathanm]

My fault. I was passing not far from there at the time. 

Seriously, though. It probably had something to do with the thunderstorms. Either that or it's a message to Arkansas voters that they made a poor choice in re-electing Governor Beebe.

[Gaspar]

This is actually quite common.  These were Arkansas blackbirds.  Remembering to breath while flying is particularly difficult for them.

[Conan71]

100,000 drum fish also found dead along the banks of the Arkansas River.  Odd stuff going on over there.

[we vs us]

Also there was that freak New Year's tornado in NWA that killed 3 people. 

Real wrath of God type stuff. 

[Townsend]

Also there was that freak New Year's tornado in NWA that killed 3 people.  

Real wrath of God type stuff.  

Tell him about the Twinkie Ray.

[sgrizzle]

Tell him about the Twinkie Ray.

[we vs us]

Dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!

/obligatory.

[Conan71]

God hates Fred.

[Hoss]

God hates Fred.

[waterboy]

100,000 drum fish also found dead along the banks of the Arkansas River.  Odd stuff going on over there.

Here as well. I can't remember when I have seen so many Pelicans on the river as during the last week. Especially around the Zink Lake area. Usually see them mid summer through late fall, but January 1st? And with the water so low? Curious, but fun to watch.

[bmuscotty]

Isn't there a nuclear power plant in that area?

[nathanm]

Isn't there a nuclear power plant in that area?

In the general vicinity; about 50 miles downstream of Ozark and something over a hundred miles from Beebe.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Too bad it wasn't about 30 million grackles instead of the blackbirds.