Post by JoannaL on Sept 15, 2020 18:09:06 GMT -5
Birds Dropping Dead in New Mexico
Birds in New Mexico are dropping dead in what some experts say could be the “hundreds of thousands.” According to Martha Desmond, a professor at New Mexico State University’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, “It appears to be an unprecedented and a very large number.
Residents have reported finding dead birds on hiking trails, missile ranges and in other locations.
Multiple agencies are investigating, including the Bureau of Land Management and White Sands Missile Range, a military testing area. “On the missile range, we might in a week find, get a report of, less than half a dozen birds,” Trish Butler, a biologist, told KOB. “This last week we’ve had a couple hundred, so that really got our attention.”
Desmond added that the deaths could be caused by a cold front that hit New Mexico last week, or recent droughts. However, she admitted the deaths could be related to wildfires in the West. “There may have been some damage to these birds in their lungs. It may have pushed them out early when they weren’t ready to migrate,” she said.
Although the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife tweeted that “not much is known about the impacts of smoke and wildfires on birds,” it stands to reason the smoke and heat would have the same effect on birds as it does on other living creatures, including humans.
Sources: Ben Kesslen, NBC News, September 15, 2020; and The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.