Utah birds die after mistaking Wal-Mart parking lot for water

[icymist]

Thousands of birds died or injured themselves Monday night after slamming into a parking lot at Wal-Mart in Cedar City, Utah. The birds, small Eared Grebes, were migrating south to the Gulf of Mexico and officials believe they mistook the wide expanse of asphalt for a body of water.

Lynn Chamberlain of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said in a phone interview that in all his 25 years of work, he had never seen so many birds come down in such a short time period

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/utah-birds-die-after-mistaking-wal-mart-parking-lot-for-water/2011/12/14/gIQA8R6RuO_blog.html?socialreader_check=0&denied=1

[HopeHoops]

1. Okay, that's a bit weird.

[stuntcat]

2. omg sad

(((((((( Good birds.

[onestepforward]

3. So sad.

I had no idea that these birds cannot fly from land, but only from water.

I'm thankful that the town worked together to help injured birds and release those who were not injured.