Feb 16, 2022, 5:48 PM IST
Hundreds of yellow-headed blackbirds have been videotaped, falling to their deaths in the northern Mexican city of Chihuahua, sparking widespread conjecture on social media. A security camera captured footage of a flock of migrating birds plummeting to the roadway from a considerable height. While many of the birds flee, the following film shows a horrific collection of dead spread across the pavement.
The video was shot in the Alvaro Obregón area of Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua state, Mexico. According to the Policia Seccional delvaro Obregón, a flock of at least 100 yellow-headed blackbirds was travelling from northern Canada to Mexico for the winter.
According to the local newspaper El Heraldo de Chihuahua, a veterinarian first blamed the occurrence of high levels of pollution caused by the use of wood-burning heaters, agrochemicals, and the area's chilly weather. Another conspiracy theory alleged that the event was caused by electrocution from adjacent power lines. There was even a suggestion that the deployment of 5G technology was to blame. However, researchers now believe that the movements of a predatory bird most likely killed the flock of blackbirds.
The yellow and black bird had spent the winter in Mexico after coming from Canada. The Northern Harrier, a predator abundant in Mexico during the colder winter months, preys on the species' adults.
These birds, like starlings, are frequently observed travelling in big groups, making instances like this more likely during their yearly journey. According to some local sources, the catastrophe occurred as a result of the birds being disoriented. There is yet to be an official verdict on what caused the fatalities.
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