Hundreds of Dead & Dying Red-Winged Blackbirds Cover Quarter Mile Stretch of Louisiana Highway

SHOCK: Hundreds of dead and dying red-winged blackbirds have littered a quarter-mile stretch of a highway in Pointe Coupee Parish on Monday, according to 2theadvocate.com. This comes in the aftermath of nearly 3,000 red-winged blackbirds falling from the skies over Beebe, Arkansas.

State biologists are trying to determine what led to the deaths of the estimated 500 red-winged blackbirds and starlings on La. 1 just down the road from Pointe Coupee Central High School.

The discovery of the dead birds — some of which were lying face down, clumped in groups, while others were face up with their wings outstretched and rigid legs pointing upward — comes just three days after more than 3,000 blackbirds rained down from the sky in Beebe, Ark.

This is shocking and it seems to be happening to one specie of birds. According to the Associated Press, the necropsies performed Monday on the birds in Arkansas showed the birds suffered internal injuries that formed blood clots leading to their deaths.

Wildlife Experts Baffled After Thousands of Red-Winged Blackbirds Fall From Skies Over Beebe, Arkansas

SHOCK: Wildlife experts are baffled as to why nearly 2,000 reg-winged blackbirds fell from the skies over Beebe, Arkansas New Year's Eve. According to media reports, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission spokesman Keith Stephens said the birds fell in an area about a mile long and a half-mile wide. An aerial survey has indicated that no other birds were found outside that narrow area. An examination of some of the carcasses will be carried out in laboratories in Arkansas, Georgia and Wisconsin. Results could come as early as next week.

Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that "the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail." The commission also speculated that New Year's Eve revelers shooting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds from their roost and caused them to die from stress. Source

No matter how you view this situation, it is a sad one and certainly not normal. Something caused these birds to die in this area. If the birds were hit by hail, wouldn't that be visible on their bodies? What is equally baffling is why thousands of dead fish were found in a stretch of the Arkansas River. Fireworks is highly unlikely in the deaths of the fish. It should be noted that only one type of fish died. Stay tuned. More to follow.