Mystery as thousands of birds fall from sky (Australia)

Australian News ^ | 1/10/07 | Amanda O'Brien

[Michael_Michaelangelo]

THOUSANDS of birds have fallen from the skies over Esperance and no one knows why. Is it an illness, toxins or a natural phenomenon? A string of autopsies in Perth have shed no light on the mystery. All the residents of flood-devastated Esperance know is that their "dawn chorus" of singing birds is missing.

The main casualties are wattle birds, yellow-throated miners, new holland honeyeaters and singing honeyeaters, although some dead crows, hawks and pigeons have also been found.

Wildlife officers are baffled by the "catastrophic" event, which the Department of Environment and Conservation said began well before last week's freak storm.

[MHGinTN]

And they can!

[COBOL2Java]

Their final message was "So long, and thanks for all the fish..."

[mtbopfuyn]

I do wonder if this was a bumper crop mistletoe year - hadn't been out in the country to observe.

As you said "out in the country". There's not that many bushes or trees in the middle of downtown Austin. And knowing the mentality of Austinites, there would protests against and a permit issued for any berries that might fall on the sidewalks.

[happymom]

West Nile virus?

[Earthdweller]

OK......so who's the dumb (bleep) in the toxic gas lab that left the roof vent open?

[nothingnew]

THOUSANDS of birds have fallen from the skies.......dead crows, hawks and pigeons.........baffled by the "catastrophic" event.....

Where's Alfred Hitchcock when you need him??!!

FMCDH(BITS)

[milford421]

Good for you. Tired of hearing the "it's nothing crowd".

Very disturbing...looks like the next jihadi attack will be an airborne toxin.

[TN4Bush]

Here are some other recent ones: bird deaths in Fuluilz and Bird deaths in France All are dated in the last month.

[redgirlinabluestate]

It is the shift of the magnetic poles.......The end is near!!! /s

[Alia]

mark.

[Young Werther]

Why not a BOLDed statement?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Too many ripe berries for lunch?

[OKIEDOC]

Could it be that Hitchcock had far reaching knowledge when he made the movie THE BIRDS?

[Liberty Valance]

[Dysart]

On the Austin die-off:
Bird Flu Ruled Out On Dead Birds; Testing Continues Tuesday

DVM cites poisoning as most likely cause.

[pctech]

Birds falling from the sky indicate the Rapture?

[JennysCool]

Hmm...Austin, Australia...I believe birds are being killed off alphabetically.

[Rte66]

Well, there really are - I just meant I hadn't been on any road trips where I could see all the mistletoe clumps up in the bare trees to gauge whether it was a high-yield year.

(Spoken as a true seller of little mistletoe bags as a child around Christmastime.)

I'm not even certain the berries are toxic to birds, anyway - maybe just to humans. But if it were a bumper crop year, the dudes in Austin may have tried spraying them because they're bad for pecan trees.

Hee hee, even the Texas state tree has a Red River Rivalry with the Oklahoma state flower/parasite.

Just brainstorming about this out loud, you realize.

[Rte66]

Actually, it was the stars that fell down from the sky and it was birds that suddenly appeared.

[Jeffrey_D.]

Funny observation.....lol