Why are Birds Dying All Over the World

It's a normal human tendency to attribute unexplainable occurrences to 'supernatural'. The mass dying of birds, that is being reported from different parts of the world, is the latest addition to this list of supernatural occurrences. While mass deaths in birds is not really a rare phenomenon as such, the unexpected rise in this trend, especially between December 2010 and January 2011, is something that has left many people bewildered. So why are these birds dying in such large numbers? How come mass deaths are being reported from different parts of the world at the same time? Does this have something to do with 2012 end of the world? We did manage to find the answers to some of these questions, and that, in turn, made things a lot more clear.

Birds and Fish Dying Around the World

It all started with dead drum fish being washed up along the shores of the Arkansas River in large numbers during the last week of December 2010. Even though it wasn't given much attention by the media initially, the mysterious phenomenon which left thousands of red-winged blackbirds dead in Beebe, Arkansas, on 31st December, 2010, did make a lot of buzz in the world. The reports of birds dying in Arkansas made it to the headlines of leading newspapers of the world when similar occurrences were observed in several other parts of the world - including Brazil, Sweden, South-east Asia, etc. In the United States alone, thousands of birds were found dead in Louisiana, Maryland, Chicago, California, etc.

Roughly during the same time, reports on other animal species dying in large numbers were also reported from various other regions. Around 200 cows were found dead in a field in Wisconsin on 14th January, 2011. Similarly, thousands of cows and buffaloes died in Vietnam during this period. In Arizona, hundreds of bats were found lying dead on the ground. Birds, such as red-winged black birds, pelicans, turtle doves, etc., constituted a major share of all these animals which were dying in different regions of the world, owing to which it was referred to as aflockalypse. Why are thousands of birds dying all around the world? Is aflockalypse really a sign of upcoming apocalypse? Is this phenomenon related to end of the world 2012 phenomenon in any way?

Autopsy Reports of Red-winged Black Birds in Arkansas

The autopsy of red-winged blackbirds done by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission Veterinary Diagnostic Lab suggest that these birds died of trauma, and there was nothing supernatural about the entire phenomenon. The autopsy reports of these birds also suggested that there was internal bleeding and blood clotting in them. No other major organs of these birds were damaged. Even though it is yet to be determined as to what caused this massive trauma, speculations suggest that the same was caused by the thunderstorm over Beebe (forecast by meteorological department) or fireworks in the sky. Some of the famous ornithologists have attributed this mass death of birds to lightning or high-altitude hail. The loud noise of fireworks is also believed to be an underlying factor for birds fall from the sky. Owing to their lack of night vision, it is least surprising to see various red-wings hit the ground after a disoriented flight.

Animal Mortality Reports

The animal mortality reports compiled by the US Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center and USDA National Veterinary Services Lab suggest that mass deaths in animals are not rare at all. Bird kills - the localized event wherein thousands of birds belonging to a particular species drop dead from the sky, have been reported from various parts of the world before the recent phenomenon. The data compiled by USGS suggests that a 188 reports of mass deaths (wherein 1,000 or more birds are involved) have been recorded in the United States alone in the last decade. Of these 188 die-off events, 8 were recorded in 2010 itself.

These incidents of 'bird kills' are attributed to numerous factors - right from climate change to disease outbreaks. Climate change is - in fact, one of the prime causes of mass deaths in animal species. With several species adapting to rising global temperatures, a sudden wave of cold can make it impossible for these species to survive. The frozen fish being washed ashore in some regions of the world is perhaps the best example of cold wave triggered mass deaths. Similarly, overpopulation - which triggers competition within the species, is yet another factor which may have something to do with fish dying in large number in various parts of the world.

Other Mass Death Theories

The relationship between birds dying and world coming to an end is nevertheless too immature, and a bit of logic is sufficient to help you do away with the confusion lingering in your mind. There also exist some sources which blame the government research project - High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) for this mass dying of birds in the world. With no concrete evidence to support such claims, it is difficult to come to a conclusion. Several human activities including dumping of fishing nets in water bodies, toxic waste discharge, etc. are also on the radar when it comes to investigation of birds dying around the world.

Skeptics though, seem to be least impressed by all these reports on birds dying all over the world. On the contrary, they argue that this issue is being overblown to support false beliefs of apocalypse and the world coming to an end. After the first incident of birds and fish dying in large numbers in Arkansas, which is no more a mystery, any incident wherein a few birds or fish are found dead makes it to the headlines. More importantly, the number of animals dying in such incidents always swell when they are reported. Many people believe that it is a mere coincidence that birds and fish are dying in such large numbers in different parts of the world at the same time. A bit of critical thinking though, and you realize that such events have been taking place on the planet for quite sometime now, it's only now that we have started noticing them - thanks to the over hype created by media.