2010–11 midwinter animal mass death events: Difference between revisions

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-[[File:Fish Kill 745F2A9C-65B8-D693-7ABA3282F6A1ECE4.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Causes of mass animal death include changes in temperature, poisoned food or water supplies, and the spread of infections.]]
-The '''2010–2011 midwinter animal mass death events''' (Almost never referred to as '''Aflockalypse''') have gained considerable publicity worldwide. Media attention was particularly high for this period. This is despite the fact that the [[Fish kill|mass deaths of fish]] and [[Bird kill|of birds]] are quite common.<ref name="Walsh">{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Walsh |url=http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/01/05/why-the-aflockalypse-is-business-as-usual%E2%80%94and-why-thats-not-good/ |title=Why the Aflockalypse Is Business As Usual For Biodiversity—And Why That's Not Good |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=January 5, 2011 |accessdate=January 23, 2011}}</ref><ref name="taylor">{{Cite news |author= Taylor, Lesley Ciarula |title= ‘Aflockalypse’ now: Hundreds of turtle doves die in Italy |url= http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/917889--aflockalypse-now-hundreds-of-turtle-doves-die-in-italy?bn=1 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |date= January 7, 2011 |accessdate= January 19, 2011}}</ref> Livestock have also been known to suffer such incidents.
-== December 2010 ==
-* In the last week of December, 83,000 dead and dying [[drum fish]] washed up along a 20-mile stretch of the [[Arkansas River]], about 100 miles west of [[Beebe, Arkansas]]. The cause was speculated to be disease while full test results were expected after one month.<ref name="Nuss">{{Cite news |first=Jeannie |last=Nuss |title=Wildlife Experts Probe Mass Death of Blackbirds in Arkansas |url= http://cnsnews.com/news/article/wildlife-experts-probe-mass-death-blackb |work=CNS |date= January 4, 2011 |accessdate= January 19, 2011}}</ref>
-* Shortly before midnight on New Year's Eve between 3,000 and 5,000 [[red-winged blackbird]]s fell from the sky in Beebe. Most were dead on the ground but some were living but dazed. Laboratory tests have been performed and the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission, the [[USGS|National Wildlife Health Center]] in Madison, Wisconsin as well as the [[University of Georgia]]'s wildlife disease study group have procured specimens of the dead birds. In addition to the blackbirds a few [[grackle]]s and [[starling]]s also fell from the sky in the same incident. A test report from the state poultry lab concluded that the birds had died from [[blunt trauma]]. An unlicensed fireworks discharge was the likely cause.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-01-05-arkansas-dead-birds-fireworks_N.htm |title=Fireworks likely cause of massive Ark. bird kill |last=Weise|first=Elizabeth |publisher=[[USA Today]] |date=January 5, 2011 |accessdate=January 19, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.katv.com/Global/story.asp?S=13784010 |title=911 Tapes Released from Beebe Bird Scare|publisher=[[KATV]] |date=January 7, 2011 |accessdate=January 19, 2011}}</ref>
-** The Beebe bird deaths were repeated again on New Year's Eve of the following year, with the reported number of dead birds being 5,000.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Dead blackbirds fall again in Arkansas town |url= http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/12/31/dead_blackbirds_fall_again_in_arkansas_town/ |work= [[Boston Globe]] |agency= [[Associated Press|AP]] |date= December 31, 2011 |accessdate= January 1, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |author= Keneally, Meghan |title= First sign of an apocalyptic year to come? Thousands of blackbirds fall to their death in Arkansas town for second New Year's Eve in a row |url= http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080859/Hundreds-blackbirds-fall-death-Arkansas-town-second-New-Years-Eve-row.html |work= [[Daily Mail]] |date= January 1, 2012 |accessdate= January 1, 2012}}</ref>
-== January 2011 ==
-* Between December 28, 2010 and January 3, 2011, 100 tons of dead fish washed ashore on the [[Brazil|Brazilian]] coast.<ref>{{cite web |first=Leonardo |last=Coleto |url=http://www.parana-online.com.br/editoria/cidades/news/502434/?noticia=MORTANDADE+MISTERIOSA+DE+PEIXES+NO+LITORAL |title=Mortandade misteriosa de peixes no litoral |language=Portuguese |publisher=Parana Online |date=January 4, 2011 |accessdate=January 23, 2011}}</ref>
-* On January 3, more than 500 starlings, red-winged blackbirds and [[sparrows]] fell dead in [[Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana]], USA.<ref>{{cite web |first=Koran |last=Addo |url=http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/112843019.html |title=Mass La. bird deaths puzzle investigators |publisher=2theadvocate |date=January 4, 2011 |accessdate=January 23, 2011}}</ref>
-* Also on January 3, an estimated 2 million dead fish were found floating in the [[Chesapeake Bay]] in [[Maryland]], USA.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/05/national/main7216597.shtml?tag=mncol;lst;1 |title=Two Million Dead Fish Appear in Chesapeake Bay |publisher=CBS |date=January 5, 2011 |date=January 23, 2011}}</ref>
-* On January  5, "hundreds" of dead [[turtle doves]] were found at [[Faenza]], [[Italy]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/06/birds-dying-in-italy-thou_n_805541.html|title=Birds Dying In Italy: Thousands Of Turtle Doves Fall Dead From Sky|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|accessdate=16 January 2011|date=January 6, 2011}}</ref> According to Italian news agencies, a huge number of the birds were found to have  blue stains on their beaks that could be caused by paint or [[Hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/10/dead-birds-fall-from-sky-_1_n_806724.html|title=Dead Birds Fall From Sky In Italy: Mass Animal Death Mystery Solved?|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|accessdate=16 January 2011|date=January 10, 2011}}</ref>
-* Over the weekend of January 8–9, "over a hundred" dead birds were found clustered together on a [[California]] Highway, while "thousands of dead gizzard shad" (a species of fish) turned up in the harbors of [[Chicago]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Travis Walter |last=Donovan |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/birds-fall-from-sky-california_n_807330.html |title=Birds Fall From Sky In California, Thousands Of Dead Fish Found In Chicago |publisher=The Huffington Post |date=January 11, 2011 |accessdate=January 23, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Chicago">{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Thousands-of-dead-fish-along-lakefront-113267599.html |title=Thousands of Dead Fish Along Lakefront |publisher=NBC Chicago |date=January 12, 2011 |accessdate=January 23, 2011}}</ref>
-* On January 14, approximately 200 [[cow]]s were found dead in a field in [[Stockton, Wisconsin]]. The owner of the cattle has told deputies that he suspected the animals died of [[infectious bovine rhinotracheitis]] (IBR), or [[bovine virus diarrhea]] (BVD). The authorities in [[Wisconsin]] sent samples from the [[carrion|carcasses]] to labs in [[Madison, Wisconsin|Madison]], to determine cause of death.<ref name="Time">{{Cite news |author= Adams, William Lee |title= Does the Death of 200 Cows in Wisconsin Confirm Biblical Prophecy? |url= http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/18/does-the-death-of-200-cows-in-wisconsin-confirm-biblical-prophecy/#ixzz1BSyg8ij0 |work= [[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date= January 18, 2011 |accessdate= January 19, 2011}}</ref>
-== March 2011 ==
-* On March 7, millions of small fish, including anchovies, sardines, and mackerel were found dead in the area of King Harbor at [[Redondo Beach, California]], U.S.A. An investigation by the authorities within the area concluded that the sardines had become trapped within the harbour, depleted the oxygen the ambient oxygen, which resulted in the deaths. The authorities stated that the event was "unusual, but not unexplainable." <ref>[http://abcworldnews.tumblr.com/post/3725573415/millions-of-dead-fish-at-king-harbor-in-redondo Millions of dead fish at King Harbor in Redondo Beach, CA]</ref>
-==Explanations==
-According to most scientists, massive die offs of animals are not unusual in nature and happen for a variety of reasons including bad weather, disease outbreaks and poisonings,<ref>{{cite news |author= Sohn, Emily | title = Birds Falling From the Sky Not Unusual |url= http://news.discovery.com/animals/bird-animal-die-offs-110106.html |work= [[Discovery News]] |date = January 6, 2011 |accessdate= January 19, 2011}}</ref> with pollution and [[climate change]] adding to the stresses on wildlife.<ref>{{cite news |author= Doyle, Alister |title= SCIENCE NEWS Mass bird deaths rare, not apocalyptic: experts |url= http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre70534t-us-deaths/ |work= NewsDaily.Com |agency= [[Reuters]] |date=January 6, 2011 |accessdate= January 19, 2011}}</ref> The U.S. Geological Service's website listed about 90 mass deaths of birds and other wildlife from June through December 12.<ref>{{Cite news |author= McConnaughey, Janet |title= La. has mass bird kill just days after Ark. |url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20110104/us-odd-dead-birds/ |work= [[Huffington Post]] |date=January 4, 2011 |accessdate= January 19, 2011}}</ref> For instance, Louisiana's State Wildlife Veterinarian Jim LaCour has stated that there have been 16 similar mass blackbird deaths in the past 30 years.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Fact Sheet: The Arkansas blackbirds and 8 other mysterious mass animal deaths |url= http://theweek.com/article/index/210739/the-arkansas-blackbirds-and-8-other-mysterious-mass-animal-deaths |work= [[The Week]] |date=January 5, 2011 |accessdate= January 19, 2011}}</ref> According to Italy's [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]] president Giorgio Tramonti, mass dove deaths like the ones that occurred in Italy have never happened before 2010.<ref name="taylor"/> The event in Arkansas was attributed primarily to an unexpected temperature change causing turbulence, visible on [[NEXRAD]] [[Weather radar#Velocity|Doppler weather radar]] images, above their roosting areas which disoriented them.<ref>{{cite news |first=Rachel |last=Jackson |format= |coauthors= |title=Mark Johnson helps solve bird death mystery |url=http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/06/03/news/nh4082143.txt |work=[[The News-Herald (Ohio)|The News-Herald]] |publisher= |date=June 3, 2011 |accessdate=June 3, 2011 }}</ref>
-==Apocalypse==
-Some Christians assert that this particular cluster of animal mass deaths is a sign of the [[Apocalypse]].<ref name="Time"/> They reference a passage in the ''[[Book of Hosea]]''<ref name="Time"/> in the [[Hebrew Bible]] which reads: "By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood," and the prophecy continues "Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away."<ref name="Time"/>
-The term ''aflockalypse'' was adopted by some media commentators in reference to the 2010–2011 bird deaths.<ref name="Walsh"/><ref name="taylor"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/blog-post/2011/01/dead_birds_dead_fish_turn_up_a.html |title=Dead birds, dead fish, dead crabs turn up all over the world: Signs of the Aflockalypse? |first=Melissa |last=Bell |publisher=[[Washington Post]] |date=January 5, 2011 |accessdate=January 23, 2011}}</ref> ''Aflockalypse'' is a [[portmanteau]] of the words "flock" and "[[apocalypse]]".
-==See also ==
-{{Portalbox|Death|Birds}}
-*[[Bird kill]]
-*[[Fish kill]]
-{{-}}
-== References ==
-{{reflist}}
-==External links==
-* [http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=214033381917754770249.00049a0687a13e7bf2bc8&ll=16.641504,-128.935547&spn=179.377846,128.671875&z=1 Map of recent mass animal deaths] ([http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=201817256339889828327.0004991bca25af104a22b&z=2 2])
-[[Category:2010 animal deaths]]
-[[Category:2011 animal deaths]]
-[[ru:Гибель птиц (2011)]]
-[[fi:Lintujen joukkokuolemat 2011]]