Posted on 09/14/2020 7:20:19 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
Over the past few weeks, various species of migratory birds are dying in “unprecedented” numbers of unknown causes.
And this growing number of birds in southern New Mexico that have mysteriously died have wildlife experts scratching their heads.
“It is terribly frightening,” Desmond said. “We’ve never seen anything like this. … We’re losing probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of migratory birds.“
In August, large numbers of birds were found dead at White Sands Missile Range and at the White Sands National Monument in what was thought to be an isolated incident, Desmond said.
After that, however, came reports of birds behaving strangely and dying in numerous locations in Doña Ana County, Jemez Pueblo, Roswell, Socorro and other locations statewide.
The affected birds have included warblers, sparrows, swallows, blackbirds, flycatchers, and the western wood pewee.
The biologists noted that the majority of the dying birds are insectivores, but that seed eaters were sickening and dying as well.
“A number of these species are already in trouble,” Desmond said. “They are already experiencing huge population declines and then to have a traumatic event like this is – it’s devastating.”
Only on Saturday, 300 bird carcasses were discovered at Knox Hall on the university of New Mexico main campus.
The day before, residents living around also found birds behaving strangely and gathering in large groups before dying.
“People have been reporting that the birds look sleepy … they’re just really lethargic,” Cutler said. “One thing we’re not seeing is our resident birds mixed in with these dead birds. We have resident birds that live here, some of them migrate and some of them don’t, but we’re not getting birds like roadrunners or quail or doves.”
On the other hand, numerous migratory species are dying rapidly and it is not immediately clear why, although the cause appears to be recent.
Biologists said the birds had moulted, replacing their feathers in preparation for their flight south, “and you have to be healthy to do that; but somewhere after that, as they initiated their migratory route, they got in trouble.“
The biologists guessed the cause might involve the wildfires ravaging the western U.S. and dry conditions in New Mexico.
“They may have been pushed out before they were ready to migrate,” Desmond said. “They have to put on a certain amount of fat for them to be able to survive the migration. These birds migrate at night and they get up in the jet stream, and they might migrate for three nights in succession, they’ll come down and they’ll feed like crazy, put on more fat and go again.”
The birds will be sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore. for further analysis.
“Over 3 billion birds have died since 1970. Insect populations are crashing, and this is just an unprecedented mortality…”
“Over 3 billion birds have died since 1970. Insect populations are crashing, and this is just an unprecedented mortality…”
Which begs the question: How many birds have been hatched since 1970?
maybe their food is making them drunk!!!
Who the heck is counting them?
This happens every once in a while, IIRC.
Couldn’t be connected with all the wildfires, ya think?
Was our east of Lemitar over the weekend with some friends. Had to take a pit stop and came across a small bird just lying on the ground dead. Nothing had started feeding on it yet. Usually ants and other bugs get right at it. Didn’t think anything of it until I got home and saw the story online. Should have scooped it up to send in.
NM Ping list.
I found one on my place yesterday, so maybe something IS going on.
Ah, they weren’t wearing masks.
From the Web:” A songbird in the wild has less than a 50% chance of surviving more than two years. However, i f a young bird can survive accidents, disease, predation, migration, and winter starvation, it may live a surprisingly long time.”
Once again the article is horribly written.
“There are 100 billion birds on the planet.”
That seems to be an underestimate. There are about 8 billion people on earth. So there are only 12 birds per person? Hm...does not seem logical. No way of knowing, of course, unless the birds consent to a census. That will be the next thing the Democrat push. /s
This happened in NV several years ago. No reason, sudden start, sudden stop, and bird populations are coming back.
‘Face
:o]
Too many collisions with windmill blades or the windmill noise kills them
Canaries in the mine?
Wildfires?
Magnetic Pole reversal?
Maybe?
Good point. The smoke is awful in California.
Just hope this isn't somehow related to another horror the democrat party is planning to release on the American people.
Amen to that...
It may be that most of the smoke is aloft. If you look at the smoke map now it’s a lot worse than yesterday and for all of N. America not just NM.
Yesterday was clear where I am but today it’s at the highest level. Or at least the highest current level 3rd darkest on the map. I can see it distinctly between here and a mountain a 1/4 mile away but I can’t smell anything.
I have noticed over the years that it has to be very thick or from a fire fairly close (200 miles or less) to smell it. If it has traveled 700 miles from CA yet is thick enough to give me a headache and make me short of breath it still doesn’t have a smell. I think the odor component drops out with the heavier smoke particles.
Pero, quien sabe?
Yes, you are correct; The clouds finally cleared here for a while this afternoon, and high above where they have been... I’d guess around 15,000 feet or higher, I could see a significant smoke haze.
For most of the last week the weather clouds have been from ground level (7,000 ft for me) to about 11,000 feet... A bit above the mountain peak in my immediate back yard.
Well, at least this summer it has been wet enough and cool enough that my local and regional forest fire danger has been MUCH lower than normal, for which I give thanks, since I live in the forest, at the edge of a Wilderness Area. I never even had to fill the water tanks on my fire-fighting trailer.
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