Thousands of Birds Crash Land in Wal-Mart Parking Lot
Thousands of birds mistook a snowy Wal-Mart parking lot and football fields for water in southern Utah, sparking them to dive-bomb straight into the ground killing approximately 1,500 of the flock.
The eared grebes, known for being aquatic fowl, could have been confused by the storm Monday night, officials told Fox News. The injured birds numbered over 3,000 across St. George and Cedar City, Utah, and volunteers from around the cities helped rescue and turn in the birds to local animal authorities.
“They’re just everywhere,” said Teresa Griffin, the wildlife program manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resource’s southern region. “It's been nonstop. All our employees are driving around picking them up, and we've got so many people coming to our office and dropping them off.”
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Because small eared grebes only migrate at night, their journey to the Gulf of Mexico was most likely hindered by a forceful storm. This, combined with the fact that the birds need water to take off, made the Wal-Mart asphalt an ideal place to land.
Lynn Chamberlain of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said the accident was likely caused by a “bad combination of lighting, snowfall, and a low cloud cover.” Chamberlain told The Washington Post that the poor flying conditions “[created] an optical illusion that tricked the birds into falling.”
Fortunately for the birds, their chances of surviving the incident are high. Because of the large bodies of water nearby, the rescued birds have the chance to scavenge for food without using their wings, which- for most of them-were severely damaged by the fall.
"We're giving them the best shot they can," said Chamberlain. "The likelihood is that most of them will survive."
Anyone who finds any of the grebes in Cedar City and the vicinity should report it to the Division of Wildlife Resources, Cedar City office at (435) 865-6100. Volunteers can also bring the birds to 1470 N. Airport Road, Cedar City, Utah.
