Concern as birds are dropping dead in the ‘hundreds of thousands’ in New Mexico
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Wildlife experts in New Mexico say birds in the region are dropping dead in alarming numbers, potentially in the “hundreds of thousands.”
“It appears to be an unprecedented and a very large number,” Martha Desmond, a professor at New Mexico State University’s department of fish, wildlife, and conservation ecology, told NBC’s Albuquerque affiliate KOB.
New Mexico residents have reported coming upon dead birds on hiking trails, missile ranges, and in other locations.
Researchers are looking into a large die-off of migrating birds in New Mexico last weekend as well as reports from other areas. Not much is known about the impacts of smoke and wildfires on birds, so the more data they collect, the better to understand this.
Multiple agencies are investigating the occurrences, including the Bureau of Land Management and the White Sands Missile Range, a military testing area.
It’s unclear to scientists why the die-off is occurring, and Desmond said it’s possible it was caused by a cold front that hit New Mexico last week or by recent droughts.
