Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Outdoors blog

Video report: Birds fall dead from sky

A dead red-winged blackbird, one of nearly 2,000 found in Beebe, Ark., on Jan. 1, 2011. (Warren Watkins / The Daily Citizen)
A dead red-winged blackbird, one of nearly 2,000 found in Beebe, Ark., on Jan. 1, 2011. (Warren Watkins / The Daily Citizen)

WILDLIFE -- The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said is still investigating why around 3,000 red-winged black birds fell from the sky  and died in Beebe, Ark.

The agency said its enforcement officers began receiving reports about the dead birds about 11:30 p.m. Friday.

Lightning or some other atmospheric phenomenon were suspected, but officials are gathering more evidence to indicate the congregated birds were shocked and disoriented in the dark by the late night volley of fireworks set off by New Year celebrants.

In addition, the same area has had a mass dieoff of more than 100,000 fish.

See it to believe it: A CNN video report about dead fish and dead blackbirds:



Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

Follow Rich online:




Go to the full Outdoors page