Hello:

5,000 birds dropped from the sky on New Years Eve in Ar. First off, I thought birds didn't fly at night. I don't know WHY I think that, but I do. I'm wrong, aren't I?

So, what do YOU think happened?

excon

Since it was likely a single flock... I'm willing to make a bet that they stopped for food that was tainted. I'm sure a necropsy will turn something up.

I didn't know what time it happened, if it was day or night. Would be odd because I haven't seen birds flying at night that I can remember either.

Birds and the fish kill, strange

Today's news report --

More than 3,000 birds fell to the ground. Scientists said fireworks appeared to have frightened the birds to such a degree that they crashed into homes, cars and each other. Some may have flown straight into the ground.

"The blackbirds were flying at rooftop level instead of treetop level" to avoid explosions above, said Karen Rowe, an ornithologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish commission. "Blackbirds have poor eyesight, and they started colliding with things."

Rowe stopped short of declaring the mystery solved, however, saying that laboratories planned to test bird carcasses for toxins or disease.

Other theories were that violent thunderstorms might have disoriented the flock, or that one bird could have led them all into a fatal plunge to the ground.

A few stunned birds survived the fall, and stumbled around like drunken revellers, according to witnesses. There was little light at the time, except for the fireworks and some lightning on the horizon. In the tumult, many birds probably lost their bearings.

We can't see birds flying at night becase:

A) They're blackbirds
B) Nighttime is dark. :D (my thought anyways)

But on occasion I see something flying but I always assumed it was bats!

I've been to Beebe, they most likely were bored to death.

(Born and raised in AR - save your reddies)

LOL!!

Yeah... LOVED that answer...

US scientists believe fireworks may have caused thousands of birds to fall from the sky over an Arkansas town on New Year's Eve.

BBC News - Fireworks may have caused Arkansas bird deaths (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12105157)

That must have been some SERIOUS fireworks then!

Maybe they had a touch of the bird flu? :rolleyes: :p