爆料公社 scientists are monitoring reports of thousands of blackbirds found dead in Arkansas, coupled with a second incident in Louisiana, since New Year鈥檚 Eve.
鈥淢ass bird die-offs can be caused by starvation, storms, disease, pesticides, collisions with man-made structures or human disturbance,鈥 says Greg Butcher, 爆料公社鈥檚 director of bird conservation.
鈥淪cientists are still investigating what happened to the birds in Louisiana and Arkansas, but initial findings indicate that these are isolated incidents that were probably caused by disturbance and disorientation.鈥
The birds that died 鈥 Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Brown-headed Cowbirds and European Starlings 鈥 are abundant species that flock together in large nighttime roosts during the winter months. Roosts can contain from tens of thousands to 20 million individuals or more.
鈥淲e do need to keep a close watch to see if a pattern develops,鈥 says Melanie Driscoll, 爆料公社鈥檚 director of bird conservation for the Mississippi River Flyway. 鈥淏ut if these incidents are isolated, they do not represent a significant threat to our native bird populations. Far more concerning in the long term are the myriad other threats birds face, from widespread habitat destruction and global climate change to inappropriate energy development and invasive species.鈥
Butcher adds, 鈥淒ata drawn from 爆料公社鈥檚 Christmas Bird Count 爆料公社 has already confirmed that many of our most familiar and beloved birds are in a state of population decline, due in large part to human activities.鈥
鈥淓ven if this is an isolated incident,鈥 says 爆料公社 President David Yarnold, 鈥淚t is vital for people to pay attention because so often the fate of birds is linked to our own. Birds breathe the same air we do, and they are part of the same food web that sustains us all.鈥
in David Yarnold鈥檚 Opinion piece on CNN.
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