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Index of Subjects --0016364d265b10d8730499064807 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi, I only know what I, and others, have read about this in the media. However, it could have some positive scientific consequences. There is a lot we still don't know about bird migration, navigation, how they get around in the dark, orientate themselves at night, etc. If anyone ever discovers the truth about this event, it may shed some light on what went wrong with these birds' survival systems, and therefore useful information on why this is such an unusual event, despite the frequency of lightning, loud bangs from various sources, auroras and other sources of electrical activity etc. around the world. Richard On Tue, Jan 4, 2011 at 9:56 AM, Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca>wrote: > Hi Fred, Helene, et al., > > As far as I can determine from recent stories authorities in Arizona are > still investigating what caused the deaths. A report this morning says that > preliminary autopsy reports indicate that the birds did not ingest anything > toxic. They also indicate that the birds experienced some sort of blunt > force trauma. Possible explanations have focused on lightning, fireworks, > and high-altitude hail. Karen Rowe, an ornithologist with Arkansas Game and > Fish Commission, said that the cause could be a severe lightning bolt. There > was an intense thunderstorm with strong lightning strikes that moved through > the area just prior to the reports of falling birds. And/or fireworks could > have contributed to the panic experienced by the birds. Karen Rowe added, > "The blackbirds were flying at rooftop level instead of treetop level. > Blackbirds have poor eyesight, and they started colliding with things." > > Cheers! > > Chris > > > On 4-Jan-11, at 9:28 AM, Frederick W. Schueler wrote: > > On 1/3/2011 4:07 PM, Helene Van Doninck wrote: >> >>> Getting confused and flying into each other...sounds totally bizarre and >>> I don't buy it. >>> >> >> * googling around one finds - >> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/04/fireworks-arkansas-blackbird-deaths- as the most recent account of this episode. >> >> According to this, what happened was collisions during panic due to >> fireworks and darkness. Everybody (at least me) has always marveled at how >> clumsy startled diurnal Birds are at night, and has wondered if they could >> get going fast enough for impacts with branches to harm them, and of course >> lethal building strikes by Birds in free flight is a well-known phenomenon. >> >> What's suggested is that these Birds didn't "fall from the sky" as >> recounted by naive observers, but crashed into each other and objects, with >> lethal consequence. Of course, with one of those big feedlot-country >> blackbird roosts, it wouldn't take a very high frequency of resulting >> mortality to amount to 3K. The roar of wings and panic when a lot of major >> fireworks went off over one of those roosts must have been terrifying. >> > > -- ################# Richard Stern, 317 Middle Dyke Rd. Port Williams, NS, Canada B0P 1T0 sternrichard@gmail.com ################### --0016364d265b10d8730499064807 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi,<div><br></div><div>I only know what I, and others, have read about this= in the media. However, it could have some positive scientific consequences= . There is a lot we still don't know about bird migration, navigation, = how they get around in the dark, orientate themselves at night, etc. If any= one ever discovers the truth about this event, it may shed some light on wh= at went wrong with these birds' survival systems, and therefore useful = information on why this is such an unusual event, despite the frequency of = lightning, loud bangs from various sources, auroras and other sources of el= ectrical activity etc. around the world.</div> <div><br></div><div>Richard<br><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Tue, Jan 4= , 2011 at 9:56 AM, Christopher Majka <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href=3D"mailt= o:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br= > <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;"> Hi Fred, Helene, et al.,<br> <br> As far as I can determine from recent stories authorities in Arizona are st= ill investigating what caused the deaths. A report this morning says that p= reliminary autopsy reports indicate that the birds did not ingest anything = toxic. They also indicate that the birds experienced some sort of blunt for= ce trauma. Possible explanations have focused on lightning, fireworks, and = high-altitude hail. Karen Rowe, an ornithologist with Arkansas Game and Fis= h Commission, said that the cause could be a severe lightning bolt. There w= as an intense thunderstorm with strong lightning strikes that moved through= the area just prior to the reports of falling birds. And/or fireworks coul= d have contributed to the panic experienced by the birds. Karen Rowe added,= "The blackbirds were flying at rooftop level instead of treetop level= . Blackbirds have poor eyesight, and they started colliding with things.&qu= ot;<br> <br> Cheers!<br> <br> Chris<div><div></div><div class=3D"h5"><br> <br> On 4-Jan-11, at 9:28 AM, Frederick W. Schueler wrote:<br> <br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> On 1/3/2011 4:07 PM, Helene Van Doninck wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> Getting confused and flying into each other...sounds totally bizarre and<br= > I don't buy it.<br> </blockquote> <br> * googling around one finds - <a href=3D"http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/20= 11/jan/04/fireworks-arkansas-blackbird-deaths" target=3D"_blank">http://www= .guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/04/fireworks-arkansas-blackbird-deaths</a> -= as the most recent account of this episode.<br> <br> According to this, what happened was collisions during panic due to firewor= ks and darkness. Everybody (at least me) has always marveled at how clumsy = startled diurnal Birds are at night, and has wondered if they could get goi= ng fast enough for impacts with branches