Posted on 01/21/2011 5:54:23 AM PST by Fawn
YANKTON, S.D. (KTIV) -- It's happened in places like Louisiana, Arkansas and Kentucky. Hundreds of birds mysteriously found dead.
Folks in Yankton, South Dakota, thought they were being added to the list after hundreds of dead birds were found there on Monday. Turns out the unpleasant feathered discovery has a solid explanation. They were poisoned.
Some had thought 200 starlings found dead in Yankton's Riverside park had frozen to death. But they were actually poisoned on purpose, by the US Department of Agriculture.
Many of the European Starlings discovered by a passerby, were laying on the ground or frozen in trees. Officials first thought the birds were late to migrate and froze to death during the recent cold spell.
But that theory changed after Yankton police received a phone call from a USDA official who said the birds had been poisoned.
"They say that they had poisoned the birds about ten miles south of Yankton and they were surprised they came to Yankton like they did and died in our park," says Yankton Animal Control Officer Lisa Brasel.
The USDA confirms the story, saying the deaths were part of a large killing at a private feed lot in Nebraska.
They say a local farmer had been having troubles with about 5,000 starlings defecating in his feed meal. Department of Ag officials say because of health concerns for the farmer's animals and staff they decided to kill the birds.
They used a bait laced with the poison DRC-1339. The USDA says the birds ate the bait then flew back to Yankton and died.
They say poisoning isn't a common practice.
"We're doing it to address, in this case, agricultural damage as well as the potential for human health and safety issues," says Carol Bannerman USDA Wildlife Services.
USDA officials say they regret they had to kill the birds. But say there's no toxic concern to people or animals.
In all, officials estimate nearly 2,000 birds ate the poison. However, since the bait has been removed they don't expect any more birds to die
Were these swallows?
Just be glad you don’t have pelicans...............
It is very rare that other animals will eat starlings. Especially dead starlings. Most carrion eaters are problem animals anyway, and the amount of poison needed to kill a starling will not transmit enough poison to kill the next creature that eats them.
Why not some people?
Starlings are a non-native species.
Just like feral cats. :)
LOL!
This was just a test run as they prepare for us ...
I see you are from Florida. Do you really have that many pelicans to be a problem? I’ve never seen more than about 10 or so together.
Starlings perch on the rail of my deck and crap all over the place...wish I could poison them and the crows that do the same thing plus the crows are noisy critters. Love the other birds, they eat and fly away.
They are parasites and can kill off entire populations of non invasive species. Then they move on to suck off of another victim. Scum species like Starlings need to go!
So, who really “sucks” here?
Canadian Geese. Ya.
Cats were always meant to be and live outside.....it’s only the last few years or so that people starting bringing them inside all the time....
True, the Blue Bird will eventually go distinct because of the Starlings ... Now, if we could just “sic” these guys on those Canadian Geese.
“Why not some people?”
Huh? Are you one of those that put animals on the same level as humans?
Well...if 'you' say so.....what else do you want eradicated? It's up to you afterall, to destroy and kill what God made....and up to you to play God.
It’s not that they congregate in large numbers, it’s their penchant for dropping bombs of pelican poop on you from overhead. And they poop in mass quantities. And their diet is FISH................
I see. I bet they do some serious poop dropping.
In 1966 it was reported that Starlicide is lethal to starlings with an acute oral LD50 of 3.8 milligrams per kilogram body weight, but less toxic to most other birds. Grain-eating game birds [such as bobwhite quail,[3] pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and rooks (Corvus frugilegus)[4]] were acknowledged to be more vulnerable. Hawks and mammals were resistant to the poison. Starlings were killed in a slow, “nonviolent” death by uremic poisoning and congestion of major organs.[5] The effect was described as “a grayish white, frost-like material of uric acid overlaying the serosal surfaces of the various organs, accompanied by sterile inflammation and necrosis in the affected and adjacent tissues” akin to avian visceral gout.[4] The site of action is believed to be in the kidney[6]
Trust me with that many starlings around there are few if any game birds left in the area.
The poison does not impact mammals.
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