Why Are Thousands of Dead Birds Washing Up On West Coast Beaches?

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Thousands of dead birds from California to Washington state have been turning up on the coastal shorelines, and scientists are scratching their heads. It’s not all kinds of birds that are dying: just a species of small birds known as Cassin’s auklets, the Los Angeles Times reports.

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It appears most of them have starved, ruling out the possibility of an oil spill or tainted food, a biologist says. Secondly, “if the bottom had fallen out of the ecosystem”—for instance, if something had broadly affected the food chain—”you would be seeing everybody dying, but we are not,” the expert notes.

So what could possibly explain this disturbing phenomenon? It may well be that the species is suffering, in a way, from its own success, the Times notes. Competition for food may have gotten tougher after nearly every breeding pair of Cassin’s auklets in British Columbia last year laid an egg. Maybe birds are looking for food closer to the shore than usual, resulting in more bodies ending up on beaches.

Finally there’s the possibility that climate change is having an effect, with powerful storms pushing the birds into unfamiliar areas and keeping them from finding food, the Statesman Journal reports. Federal, state, and university officials are looking into the situation.

Click to read about nine other strange animal deaths.

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Professor Mike

Professor Mike is a left-leaning, dog loving, political junkie. He has written dozens of articles for Substack, Medium, Simily, and Tribel. Professor Mike has been published at Smerconish.com, among others. He is a strong proponent of the environment, and a passionate protector of animals. In addition he is a fierce anti-Trumper. Take a moment and share his work.
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Big Lar
9 years ago

Thanks for the report. Hosea prophecy continues to unfold. We read in the Bible, “Therefore the land morons, and all who do well in its languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taking away.” —Hosea 4:3

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