Thousands of Birds Fall From Sky in Australia

OK has West Nile virus been ruled out?

I was trying to find an old story on Ft. Detrick. Years back they had two incidents of hundreds of birds dying. After 2 years and much wrangling the official reason given: "The birds died of exhaustion"! Sounds like something from a Monty Python sketch.

The only other time I heard of massive birds dying was from original microwave testing done by Westinghouse from a ship. As a joke they pointed the signal at a huge flock of birds flying by and they all dropped from the sky.

I don't know anything about the reputation of the sources provided , but the thread has slowed down some so I thought I would just throw it out there. Also, I had a quick flick through this thread around the date it went online and didn't see it, so sorry if it is a repost of someone else!

www.whatdoesitmean.com...

An alarming series of reports from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Influenza Research Institute are reporting today that millions of avian species have succumbed, while in flight, to a rapidly evolving virus linked to the deadly H5N1 Bird Flu variant.

Doctor Scientist Oleg Kiselyov, the head of the Influenza Research Institute, states in these reports that a nematode parasite belonging to the ‘Superfamily Subuluroidea’ has now become a carrier of a ‘mutated’ H5N1 Bird Flu Virus with ‘sub strains’ never seen before.

Doctor Scientist Kiselyov further states that Western scientists are rejecting Russia’s research and are instead reporting to their citizens ‘other causes’ to explain the growing number of mass bird deaths in mid-flight, including Sri Lanka, and which has become yet another of the World’s Nations to report birds falling from sky dead.Australia has likewise refused this research for the mass bird deaths in their country, preferring instead to blame the sudden deaths of thousands of birds in mid-flight on a ‘mystery toxin’.

interesting find
not sure of the source of the story though, this Sorcha Faal person is a person of questionable identity and motives, rogue Russian scientist or faker David Booth, or something even crazier than that I'm not sure, but I usually look for other confirmation of the events before I'll take "SorchaFaal's" word for it.

for the record, there have been bird deaths in Sri Lanka, I don't believe these are accurately described as birds falling from the sky while in flight, but whatever, it's alarming non the less.
Sri Lanka reports unusual death of birds

wait there's more.....

Sri Lanka rules out flu in bird deaths
Sri Lanka's veterinary authorities have ruled out avian flu among migratory birds that dropped dead by the hundreds, a top health official said on Wednesday.

The Veterinary Research Institute found that the birds died of salmonella poisoning, A. Chandrasoma, director at the Animal Production and Health department, said.

[edit on 1-30-2007 by worldwatcher]

Originally posted by worldwatcher
interesting find
not sure of the source of the story though, this Sorcha Faal person is a person of questionable identity and motives, rogue Russian scientist or faker David Booth, or something even crazier than that I'm not sure, but I usually look for other confirmation of the events before I'll take "SorchaFaal's" world for it.

Thanks for the heads-up on Sorcha Faal, I shall remember the name

news.bbc.co.uk...

Might be related might not, 1000 turkeys die on a farm in britain. Blood tests are being done so we should find out soon what the cause is.

For some reason i can't edit my above post. Well anyway the farm is now reporting that it was bird flu that the turkeys died from. Link below.

news.bbc.co.uk...

www.thewest.com.au...

Hundreds more dead birds have been found in the Wheatbelt after mass bird deaths at Esperance and Narembeen in December and January.

Department of Environment and Conservation nature protection manager David Mell said the birds, mostly ring-necked parrots, had been found in clusters of up to 200 at Yealering, Kellerberrin, Cunderdin, Kulin and Kukerin. He did not think the deaths were related to the earlier incidents, blaming the latest fatalities on hot weather and wind.

My knowledge on Australian geography is lacking (to say the least), but here is the Wiki page on the Wheatbelt en.wikipedia.org...

Also, from that article they say there is still no news on what killed all those other birds.

The cause of the deaths of 4000 birds at Esperance remains a mystery with tests by the department ruling out a virus or bacteria and inconclusive about poisoning from heavy metals or pesticides.

Esperence and Narembeen are close to (if not in) this area of WA.

Also found this

test.denverpost.com...

More than 400 ducks have died at a wastewater-treatment plant in north Denver since the beginning of the year, and now dead ducks are appearing elsewhere along the Front Range.

Authorities have found dead ducks at a pond at a Denver apartment complex and at a Weld County wastewater facility, said Jennifer Churchill, spokeswoman for the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Federal and state biologists are trying to figure out why the ducks, which are mostly northern shovelers, are losing the ability to repel water and are dying from hypothermia.

It sounds like something could be affecting these ducks' uropygial gland that I believe is responsible for secreting an oil that aids a ducks feathers in repelling water. Whatever is the cause though, it sure doesn't sound like anyone has much of a clue about these ducks or any of the other dead bird cases that continue to occur.

Here is an article from January 25th on the Time website which gives a perhaps lighter look at the story of the grackles dying in Texas about a month ago.

www.time.com...

The experts at Texas A&M believe that,

...the grackles fell prey to parasites and a sudden dip in temperatures, struck down by a double whammy of bad luck in the bird world.

So they seem to feel it was a string of events that led to their deaths, but I did find this quote interesting

Years ago, grackles were used as sentinels in coal mines, Gayle said, and with today's terror and health threats they still serve as an early warning system.

So perhaps there is still more than meets the eye in the bird world and we need to keep paying attention to what nature might be trying to tell us.

here's another mysterious mass bird death.

Costa Rica Probes Deaths of 500 Pelicans
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Authorities in Costa Rica said Tuesday they are investigating the mysterious deaths of about 500 brown pelicans along the country's Pacific coast over the last five days but do not suspect bird flu was the cause.

According to the article they don't it was West Nile either.

cbs2.com...

(CBS) HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. A toxic substance has killed nearly three dozen shore birds at the mouth of the Santa Ana River, some after suffering seizures.

What is perplexing is that the different types of birds, which include grebes, avocets and cormorants, "don't share food and feeding techniques," Birkle said.

"We're not sure, it could be something in the water," Birkle said.

It has video but be warned, there are some images of birds in distress

It isn't on a scale like the others with only around 25 dead over a week, but 5 yesterday. Who knows, this may be how it has started elsewhere with a few birds dying before the rest fall. With the death rate being relatively small right now, it possibly isn't related, but if it is not one of the causes they suspect, including...

Monica Mazur of the Orange County Health Care Agency's Environmental Division, said the symptoms sound like domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxic produced by microscopic algae in the ocean.

However, after sending e-mail notices to a marine bio-toxin group with the state Department of Health Services, Mazur was told got that the scientists "are not seeing a lot of domoic right now."

...and they do not discover the cause, then if nothing else we have more things to cross of the list. And the list of what is NOT killing all the birds just keeps on growing.

More re worldwatcher's find...



500 pelicans died mysteriously along Costa Rica's coast. Authorities have determined - without testing - that bird flu should not be suspected as the cause of death.

FYI - Countries with acknowledged bird flu outbreaks suffer economically, and their industries, trade and tourism take huge hits.

Costa Rica Probes Deaths of 500 Pelicans

Authorities in Costa Rica said Tuesday they are investigating the mysterious deaths of about 500 brown pelicans along the country's Pacific coast over the last five days but do not suspect bird flu was the cause.

Investigators were collecting tissue samples from the dead birds, but tests to determine the cause of death may take several days, said National Animal Health Service spokesman Flor Aguero.

Coast Guard marine biologist Carmen Castro said investigators do not think the deaths were caused by bird flu, which is primarily spread by migration.

Erm. ???

"Bird flu is primarily spread by migration???" Not true.

Most bird flu transmission is mechanical - Mechanical transmission of AIV by anything that can walk, crawl, or fly from farm to farm should be presumed.

International trade has long been known as the primary facilitator of mechanical transmission - through contaminated equipment, boots, clothing, feathers, hitch-hiking insects and rodents, you name it - although the information tends to be suppressed.

Bird flu outbreaks linked to trade

ROME -- Most of the scattered bird flu outbreaks so far this year probably can be traced to illegal or improper trade in poultry, scientists say. That includes recent outbreaks in Nigeria and Egypt as well as the large outbreak on a turkey farm in England.

Last winter, wild migrating birds were deemed the primary culprit in the bird flu infestations that hopscotched across Europe and Africa.

"Many of us at the outset underestimated the role of trade," said Samuel Jutzi, director of Animal Production and Health at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

***

Bird flu outbreaks linked to trade

...Although the avian influenza virus is killed by cooking, it survives well in raw meat and such shipments may have transported it to England. It could have been carried from the processing plant into the animal pens on workers' shoes or farm equipment.

Indonesia, Egypt, and Nigeria have emerged this season as persistent bird flu trouble spots, with constant cases in birds and some transmission to humans. Trade may play a role in these countries as well, officials said.

But it really may not be bird flu.

It might be some weird new flu-fungus-bacterial hybrid.

Most likely, imo.



[edit on 14-2-2007 by soficrow]

A couple more reports on the Huntington Beach birds, and it looks like they still want to say it is due to domoic acid poisoning but they just can't see how.

www.ocregister.com...

While the symptoms the birds exhibit in some ways resemble those of domoic acid poisoning – the result of an ocean-borne toxin that can affect birds and sea mammals – there was no apparent evidence of the red tide associated with domoic acid.

www.kget.com

Some of the birds are showing symptoms -- including seizures -- of domoic acid poisoning, although there's no apparent evidence of the red tide associated with domoic acid.

Health officials say they've picked up no signs of unusually high bacteria levels and no indications of chemical spills that might be affecting the water in the area.

www.ocregister.com...

The bird species affected included western grebes, eared grebes, ring-billed gulls, California gulls, a pelican, brants, cormorants, double-crested cormorants, a rare rhino auklet and a lesser scaup.

Birkle said most of the affected birds appeared to be cormorants.

The articles also say they normally treat 2-3 birds per day at this time of year, never anything on this scale. But at least there are no new reports of several birds suffering and dying.


Mod Edit: Link format edited. Please review this post.


[edit on 28-2-2007 by DontTreadOnMe]

Up here in New Hampshire I've noticed that there were Mallard and Wood duck's that never migrated South for the winter,I've lived here all my life and it's the first time ive seen dozen's of them hanging around small creek's and river's.I visited my parent's today and they were talking about how they saw six of them in a parking lot today while they went grocery shoping.

During the the month of December,we had the warmest month on record but ever since it's been extremely cold for the most part.I just find it strange that these Mallard duck's did not migrate South for the winter like they alway's do.

I don't know if this could have anything to do with the sudden death's of the bird's mentioned in this thread but I thought it was a strange coincidence.Is it possible that there was a slight Pole Shift that we cant sense but maybe bird's can.I know that bird's have some sort of guidance system that let's them know where there going when they migrate,it could be that there messed up.

Is there any info on what type of bird's fell from the sky and if they are bird's that should be there at that time.Who's to say there sense of direction was messed up and they were migrating to the wrong area or they were lost/confused and got exhausted to death.

[edit on 18-2-2007 by Samblack]

Still no cause for the Santa Anna deaths as of the end of last week and I have not seen any other news reports since then.

www.dailypilot.com...

Preliminary test results from a dead bird showed it may have been poisoned by domoic acid, which comes from algae. Three other birds, which were brought in alive and seizing, did not show signs of the toxin, Birkle said.

Investigators do not believe that all the birds that came in were sick because of domoic acid.

The wildlife center is still awaiting test results that officials hope will shed more light on what happened to the birds. While seizures are common when birds have domoic acid poisoning, wildlife center workers said necropsies on dead birds didn't show other symptoms of domoic acid.

I guess no news is good news, or the press just don't think it IS news anymore. Hopefully this means the bird seizures and deaths have stopped there, but it may be continuing elsewhere, this time in Clagary...

calsun.canoe.ca...

Nearly 70 mallards were found dead near Nose Creek in the city's northwest and wildlife officials are still trying to figure out what killed them.

I wonder if the scientists who are studying these birds know of the other cases in other parts of the world, and if they communicate with each other?

A follow up on the Alberta Ducks with more deaths reported

calsun.canoe.ca...

Test results won't be available to confirm the cause of death until later this week, but the likely culprit is a bacteria or viral infection, said Alberta Fish and Wildlife officer Paul Lypyczuk.

"Likely culprit" - I think I've heard that before! I really hope it is something simple and explainable for at least one of these Bird Death cases.

Wildlife experts are examining another 50 ducks found dead along the Bow River yesterday, bringing the total number of dead birds discovered this week to 115.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is expected to release the test results in the next a few days, said Lypyczuk.

Another case of, "wait and see". I hope at least one of these cases is solved soon. The more birds that die by the dozens/hundreds/THOUSANDS without a scientific explanation, the more I wonder if nature, our first line of defense, is warning us of something new.

www.airdrieecho.com...

Airdrie Echo — More than 80 dead mallards were found near Nose Creek at Country Hills Boulevard last week, but ongoing Alberta Sustainable Resource Development test results have confirmed that there is no evidence of the H5N1 avian bird flu strain.

According to Dave Ealey, a spokesperson for Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, the birds were found to have avian cholera, a bacterial disease which has been seen before in this area.

"It’s not the avian flu that people have concerns about," Ealey said. "It’s not a type of strain that typically affects mammals.

"While we have found some avian bird flu in these birds," he added, "it’s the sort of flu we expect to find in these birds. It’s a virus that these birds carry that doesn’t (cause) a lot of problems for the birds."

That could be case closed for the Canadian Ducks. The past week has been very quiet, which is a good thing as no more birds are dying in their dozens. Would be nice to know if any of the other cases have been explained yet but just haven't proved news-worthy. I wonder if it is worth sending out some emails and checking?

so, its not birds, but has anyone come across the mass bee die-off?

www.time.com...

could be totally unrelated, but I thought I'd throw it out there, since its another unexplained die off.

Originally posted by saturnine_sweet
so, its not birds, but has anyone come across the mass bee die-off?

www.time.com...

could be totally unrelated, but I thought I'd throw it out there, since its another unexplained die off.

I considered posting that recently and then forgot about it, glad you found it All it needs though is one missing letter to turn Colony Collapse Disorder into a whole new subject!

It is interesting when things like this happen, and kind of frightening if you want to consider that Mother Nature may be warning of something coming our way. Things have become pretty quiet though on this front so hopefully it is at and end. Still would be nice to know what happened exactly.

Update on the mallards in Calgary. They finished their tests and are sayingg it's avian cholera. Pretty nasty bug from the looks of it.

www.nwhc.usgs.gov...