'Hundreds of thousands, if not millions': New Mexico sees massive migratory bird deaths

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https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2020/09/12/mass-deaths-migratory-birds-new-mexico-environment/5780282002/

'Hundreds of thousands, if not millions': New Mexico sees massive migratory bird deaths

Algernon D'Ammassa
Las Cruces Sun-News

LAS CRUCES - Biologists from New Mexico State University and White Sands Missile Range examined nearly 300 dead migratory birds Saturday at Knox Hall on the university's main campus.

Over the past few weeks, various species of migratory birds are dying in "unprecedented" numbers of unknown causes, reported Martha Desmond, a professor at NMSU's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology.

"It is terribly frightening," Desmond said. "We've never seen anything like this. ... We're losing probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of migratory birds."

In August, large numbers of birds were found dead at White Sands Missile Range and at the White Sands National Monument in what was thought to be an isolated incident, Desmond said.

[BusyBeingBest]

1. Very cold weather in the Rockies basically meant the insect eaters had

nothing to eat for several days during migration. I have put out dried mealworms and soldier worms for bug eaters around my property. We also had smoke from fires that may have hurt them or suppressed flying insects--don't know.