September 17, 2020

Andrew Campbell 

Most recently hundreds of thousands of migratory birds, including blackbirds, bluebirds, sparrows, swallows, the western wood pewee and flycatchers, and warblers, have been found dead in New Mexico of the US. Neighboring southwest states have also reported a tremendous increase in bird deaths in Arizona, Colorado, and Texas.

At first, Regents Professor Martha J. Desmond in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology of New Mexico State University discovered August 20 a large number of dead birds at the US Army White Sands Missile Range and White Sands National Monument.

The mystery of what is causing the death of these migratory birds remains unclear at the moment. According to Professor Desmond’s estimation, the number of birds that died may be in the millions, and the reason for the mass die-off could be tied to smoke from wildfires on the West Coast in California and other western states, the recent cold weather in the Mountain West, or the drought in the Southwest, which may have forced the birds into early migration before they were ready.

Biologists are examining whether the wildfires with smoke plumes potentially alter migration routes or increase the toxins inhaled by birds. Professor Desmond indicated that there have been 3 billion birds lost in the US since 1970. Thus, it is terrifying and devastating to see the recent bird deaths.

Photo:Webshot.