Dead Birds in Arkansas: Red-winged Blackbirds Signal an Omen? (Video)

Dead Birds in Beebe, Arkansas fell by the hundreds from the night sky on New Year's Eve. As officials scramble to discover scientific reasons why nearly 100 Red-wing Blackbirds suddenly died in mass, others believe it is an omen.

 

As many prepared for the 2011 New Year to be ushered in, a strange phenomenon was unfolding over the skies of Beebe, Arkansas.  At or about 11:30 p.m. Blackbirds by the hundreds began to fall out of the sky, littering rooftops and lawns over a one mile radius.

Alarmed residents and New Year's Eve revelers thought it was some sort of trick. However, when the morning arrived in the small town, it was clear the death of so many Red-winged Blackbirds could not have been an orchestrated joke.  Or was it? Several people have offered plausible explanations as to why dead birds in Arkansas suddenly fell from the sky.

Here's some possible reasons:

• Poison - According to county officials and the town's mayor, poison is one of the many things that could have led to so many birds dying in mass.  The birds that were picked up by a third party, have been sent to an independent lab for toxicology testing.  Perhaps, the birds fell victim to poisoning.
• Stress - Birds, in general, are easy to spook.  Because the birds were in an area at a time in which residents were celebrating with fireworks on New Year's Eve, the numerous explosions could have spooked the birds out of a resting state. The resulting stress could have led to cardiac arrest.
• Weather - Officials contend that another reason for the massive death of the birds could be the result of high-altitude hail or lightening.  Anyone of these scenarios could have downed the birds in mass.  The fact that it only involved a flock gives more rise to this belief.
• An Omen - Dead birds in Arkansas or anywhere else that spontaneously fall from the sky reminds one of the fictional movie "Birds" by Alfred Hitchock.  However, for many others the world over, the sight of a dead Blackbird is a sign of death. What makes it even stranger is that Red-winged Blackbird are typically territorial and do not fly in uniformed flocks.  This is somewhat of an anomaly.

Whether it is a scientific reason that explains why dead birds in Arkansas fell from the sky or a part of folklore, it certainly has the residents of Beebe concerned.  However, according to officials, many results in the past like this have proven to be "inconclusive".

Another dead honeybee unexplained mystery? 

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