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#ClimateCrisis Alert!
HUNDREDS of dead birds have been reported throughout the state of New Mexico over the past two weeks or so. Please read this thread and retweet! (1/9) #TeamBird #avian #ecology #conservation #migration #extinction
HUNDREDS of dead birds have been reported throughout the state of New Mexico over the past two weeks or so. Please read this thread and retweet! (1/9) #TeamBird #avian #ecology #conservation #migration #extinction
USFWS and NM Game & Fish have been alerted. We at NMSU are working closely with them and other local wildlife biologist to understand the cause of this mass mortality. (2/9)
We have been collecting dead birds (with appropriate permits) off the streets, on campus, at local golf courses, literally EVERYWHERE. (3/9)
We have noticed that the majority of species collected are insectivores and long-distance migrants, such as swallows, wood-pewees, empidonax flycatchers, and warblers. (4/9)
The birds seem to be in relatively good condition, except that they are extremely emaciated. They have no fat reserves and barely any muscle mass. Almost as if they have been flying until they just couldn’t fly anymore. (5/9)
Another interesting note is that resident species, such as Curve-billed Thrashers, White-winged Doves, and Great-tailed Grackles do not seem to be impacted at all. (6/9)
We have very little data, but suspect that the west coast fires, in combination with the local cold front we experienced last week, has altered the migration patterns of many migrants. On top of that, there is little food and water available here in the Chihuahuan Desert. (7/9)
Local news from the Las Cruces Sun: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2020/09/12/mass-deaths-migratory-birds-new-mexico-environment/5780282002/ (8/9)
If you start to see large numbers of dead birds in your area, especially the southwest (NM, AZ, even W. Texas) please report it to your state Game & Fish Agency or USFWS. Stay tuned for future updates on this horrible situation. (9/9)
UPDATE (13 Sept 2020): We've created an @inaturalist Project where you can submit photos of dead birds. We can use this data to fully understand the extent of this mass mortality. More info here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/southwest-avian-mortality-project
#SouthwestAvianMortalityProject #communityscience
#SouthwestAvianMortalityProject #communityscience
UPDATE (14 Sept 2020): Students from @nmsu_fwce 110 class surveyed campus for dead birds as part of their lab class today. In just a few hours they collected several individuals of different species. #SWAvianMortality #avian #conservative #migration
UPDATE (15 Sept 2020): Here is a link with some great information about how you can contribute to the #SWAvianMortalityProject and document bird mortality. #avian #conservation #migration https://carsonnm.org/bird-deaths-in-carson/
