Utah Birds Crash-Land At Wal-Mart Parking Lot, Thousands Die

ST. GEORGE, Utah — Thousands of migratory birds are dead or injured after they apparently mistook a Wal-Mart parking lot, football fields, highways and other areas of southern Utah for bodies of water and plummeted to the ground.

One state wildlife expert is calling it the worst downing she'd ever seen.

Crews went to work cleaning up the dead birds and rescuing the injured survivors after the creatures crash-landed in the St. George area Monday night.

By midday Wednesday, volunteers had helped rescue more than 3,000 birds, releasing them into a nearby pond. There's no count on how many died, although officials estimate it's upwards of 1,500.

Wildlife officials say stormy conditions probably confused the flock of eared grebes, a duck-like aquatic bird likely making its way to the Mexican coast for the winter.

No human injuries or property damage have been reported.

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Information from: The Spectrum, http://www.thespectrum.com

Comments

[javajosie]

02:29 PM on 12/16/2011

They were just running late for the Black Friday Sale!

[Fnordpocalypse]

10:03 PM on 12/15/2011

The magnetic poles are moving at a rate of about 40 miles a year. Faster than ever recorded before. Birds have a natural compass that could be affected by this.

[womerds]

08:41 PM on 12/15/2011

I am confused: the title says "Thousands Die," but the story cites unconfirmed numbers near 1,500...

[Linus521]

05:46 PM on 12/15/2011

Tragic as these birds are biological diversity, a rivet holding spaceship Earth, altogether. Biological diversity is the creators and saviors of ecosystems and man's life-support team, in the eco-nomy of all life.

Those birds held down jobs in keeping the Earth life giving and supporting.

[Robert Gudzikowski]

03:34 PM on 12/15/2011

What if this were omen of beware the possiblity of becoming a "dead duck"?

[Skotyman]

02:30 PM on 12/15/2011

Probably caught site of a gaggle of Flannel-Plumed Wal-Mart Shoppers in the parking lot and went into a giggle-fit and crashed.

[Jenny Liinden]

02:07 PM on 12/15/2011

I believe birds have some sort of “natural compass” which must be related to the earth’s magnetic fields. Also other planets’ magnetic fields affect earth (eg sun and moon). Maybe other objects such as aeroplanes, satellites and space debris interfere with these electromagnetic fields.

I have a theory that “en-masse bird falls” are caused by a surge of electromagnetism which interferes with the birds “natural compass”. I also believe that this surge or interference is the cause of some plane crashes and it is also the “trigger” that causes some earthquakes.

[Fnordpocalypse]

10:02 PM on 12/15/2011

HAARP?

[Jenny Liinden]

11:51 AM on 12/16/2011

I'm no expert but I understand HAARP sends out radio signals and only measures magnetic fields. It does not send out magnetic fields ?

[fusillijerry]

03:33 AM on 12/16/2011

Is that you Newt?

[sking007]

01:16 PM on 12/15/2011

All this could have been avoided if the lead bird wasn't texting at the time of landing.

[Meditate Muse]

12:49 PM on 12/15/2011

Jamming of their signals by the Iranians

[Mooooom]

12:13 PM on 12/15/2011

Breaking News: Feather Hair Extensions Sale at Wal-Mart.

[no body]

11:46 AM on 12/15/2011

I tried to tell the upper management at Walmart that bringing in Chinese exports by bird was, in fact, much cheaper, but a really dumb idea.

[Moose Luck 99]

11:30 AM on 12/15/2011

Haarp did it.

http://sherriequestioningall.blogspot.com/2011/12/explosive-interview-silver-doctors-with.html

[Jacob Black]

04:46 PM on 12/15/2011

HAARP was pointed at a Walmart in Utah?

[Moose Luck 99]

09:02 PM on 12/15/2011

Multiple Utah HAARP beams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ago9E8IsYdc

[laidbackdude679]

11:05 AM on 12/15/2011

sounds like a new OCCUPY Walmart protest is starting.................

[mikeeperez]

10:56 AM on 12/15/2011

I'm sure there's a lesson about mindlessly following a crowd that we can learn from this.

[Mil-ford]

12:18 PM on 12/15/2011

A new nickname for followers of Obama, "eared grebes".

[mlipst]

10:03 AM on 12/15/2011

This is natural selection and evolution at work. The next generation will be smarter.

[Vincent McGuyer]

01:15 PM on 12/15/2011

Or at the very least, avoid walmart. Which will then make them smarter than most people ;)