Dead Birds and Fish in Arkansas: Explanations Abound

With the huge abundance of news items concerning the alarming number of birds mysteriously dying while hundreds of fish turned belly-up in an Arkansas river shortly thereafter, it would have been almost impossible to avoid hearing about it. According to reports, an estimated 100,000 dead Drum Fish were found floating over a twenty mile stretch of the Arkansas River, washing up on its banks in Ozark, a town located in the northwestern part of the state. Eerily in the town of Beebe,100 miles from the site of the dead fish, as many as 5,000 red-wing blackbirds fell from the sky, strewn over lawns and streets. Yet officials claim these two incidents are not related. Following veterinary necropsy of the birds, authorities claim the deaths were likely caused by the New Year's Eve fireworks that frightened them off their roosts; disorienting them. However, residents reported hearing loud explosions prior to the birds dropping out of the sky. An ornithologist from the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission explained, "The blackbirds were flying at rooftop level instead of treetop level to avoid explosions above, and probably ended up crashing into objects and each other. Blackbirds have poor eyesight, and they started colliding with things." Officials have not yet closed the case, although lab reports have ruled out poisoning. A Cornell ornithologist who suspects bad weather may have been the cause said, "Birds can quickly die of exposure if their feathers get waterlogged. The birds, which can roost in groups as big as 20,000 at night could have gotten swept up in a storm and forced into a washing-machine type thunderstorm." Fish kills are not uncommon, but this one is exceptional. Since the only fish species affected were the Drum fish, Officials ruled out toxins or pollution. It could take several weeks for researchers to determine exactly what killed them, according to Andrew Goodwin, Associate Director of the University of Arkansas' Aquaculture and Fisheries Center. He explained, "A group of fish will go into a population boom, and then they're competing for food, so they may not be in really good condition. Then during a cold snap the environment changes with the temperature and their immune systems are compromised and can't always fight infection." However several town residents aren't buying these explanations and are up in arms, according to an article posted on the Global Crisis website. They are blaming the government for secret illegal bio-testing or researching the use of electromagnetic waves as a form of eco-terrorism, while others claim the events point to the first signs pointing to the end of the world. What do you think? Share your opinions in a comment. Image Source: Flickr user sveinsonphoto