From the Baton Rouge Advocate:
LABARRE — Hundreds of dead and dying birds littered a quarter-mile stretch of highway in Pointe Coupee Parish on Monday as motorists drove over and around them.
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.
Necropsies performed Monday on the birds in Arkansas showed the birds suffered internal injuries that formed blood clots leading to their deaths, The Associated Press reported.
Poor birdies. Tom and I thought it might have been due to the extended cold weather or not enough food, although the deaths were sudden and in large numbers, so we are probably wrong.
The area where the dead birds were found is not far from our little farm, where Tom grew up.
More thoughts and theories on why the birds died at:
The Baton Rouge Advocate
The Huffington Post
Thanks to Ann V. for the link to HP.
