CANADA: Bird experts are baffled about why starlings are drowning mysteriously in ponds. Starlings are mysteriously drowning en masse in garden ponds across Britain.
Renowned for flying in enormous flocks – sometimes more than one million strong – they have been observed in recent years to perish in groups of 10 or more.
Now researchers are trying to work out what’s behind the phenomenon.
Conservationists believe the “inexperience” of young birds in negotiating water – along with their friendly nature – could be behind the mystery.
They have suggested homeowners supply sloping exits or ramps in water features so the vulnerable birds can get in and out safely.
Experts say it is unusual for wild birds to drown and on the occasions it happens normally involves an individual rather than multiple numbers.
Starlings are already ‘red-listed’ in the UK – placing them at the highest conservation concern – and the newly discovered phenomenon exposes another danger they face.
Researchers studied 12 separate incidents of starling drownings between 1993 and 2013 and found that in 10 of these incidents more than 10 birds died.
Most involved juveniles of only a few months old and all occurred during the spring and early summer months. There was no evidence of underlying disease as a cause of death.
