(ETH) – Over a thousand birds have been found dead near a Missouri town and officials are scrambling to find the cause which is still unknown. According to reports, The Missouri Department of Conservation was notified of large numbers of dead birds that were discovered near Sikeston and is pursuing a further investigation, the city shared in a Facebook post written by conservation agent Andrew Mothershead.
Sikeston is located in southeast Missouri roughly 34 miles south of Cape Girardeau. The birds consisted of red-winged blackbirds, brown-headed cowbirds, grackles, and European starlings — in fields and neighborhoods near Wakefield Road. There were also several injured birds in vegetation found near the roadway.
A local affiliate out of Missouri stated that Mothershead wrote that the conservation department had received calls about dead and injured birds between 8 and 9 p.m. on Sunday — about the time a thunderstorm rolled into the area, according to the post. One resident reported “hearing birds [hit] the ground” near her home, the post said.
Mothershead and Brunke think it’s likely the flock got caught up in the storm. “… it’s reasonable to conclude that the flock spooked during the weather event, and were caught up in high winds or lightning,” Mothershead wrote. “As birds couldn’t recover in flight, many fell to the ground and perished or became injured.”
