Flock of 1,000 birds are found dead on street of small Missouri town after ‘severe thunderstorm spooked them to death’
- The Missouri Department of Conservation was inundated with calls on Monday about the birds, seen just west of Sikeston
- State wildlife agents found carcasses of four bird types: red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, grackles and European starlings
- Reports of the dead birds first started on Sunday at around 8 to 9 pm
- They started around the same time ‘a thunderstorm moved through the area’
- Most of the birds found normally travel and roost together in large flocks
- Officials ask that any citizens who have found bird carcasses on their property to ‘collect them with gloves, bag them, and put them in their trash for local pick-up’
It’s like something out of a horror movie!
Residents of a small Missouri town found themselves perplexed as more than 1,000 dead birds were found in a nearby field.
Andrew Mothershead, an agent with Scott County Conservation, shared on Facebook that the Missouri Department of Conservation was inundated with calls on Monday about the birds.
Mothershead and Kevin Brunke, a Natural History Biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, responded to Wakefield Road, west of Sikeston, to investigate the birds.
The Missouri Department of Conservation was inundated with calls on Monday about the birds, seen just west of Sikeston
There, the pair found carcasses of four bird types: red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, grackles and European starlings.
‘We also observed many birds showing signs of physical injury in areas of vegetated cover near the roadway,’ Mothershead said in the release, adding that more dead birds were found in various neighborhoods in the area.
The reports of the dead birds first started on Sunday at around 8 to 9 pm, the agent stated.
The reports started around the same time ‘a thunderstorm moved through the area.’
Reports of the dead birds first started on Sunday at around 8 to 9 pm
They started around the same time ‘a thunderstorm moved through the area’
Mothershead explained in his report that he had contacted the National Weather Station in Paducah and confirmed that the Sikeston area had experienced ‘high winds, lightning, and some hail.’
Most of the birds found normally travel and roost together in large flocks, according to the agent.
‘Based on the condition of the dead birds, the injured birds, location, and weather conditions, Brunke and I believe it’s reasonable to conclude that the flock spooked during the weather event, and were caught up in high winds or lightning,’ Mothershead said.
State wildlife officials ask that any citizens who have found bird carcasses on their property to ‘collect them with gloves, bag them, and put them in their trash for local pick-up’
‘As birds couldn’t recover in flight, many fell to the ground and perished or became injured. While rare, birds can fall victim to volatile weather conditions, which is likely the cause of this incident.’
The agent shared that some of the birds were collected so that they could be examined by MDC’s Wildlife Health unit in Columbia.
They ask that any citizens who have found bird carcasses on their property to ‘collect them with gloves, bag them, and put them in their trash for local pick-up.’
‘This will ensure that the carcasses end up in a landfill,’ Mothershead concluded in his release.