Social media users falsely claimed that a viral video of a large flock of blackbirds roosting in a city was a sign of an impending “environmental crisis.”
A harbinger of disaster? The beginning of a live-action adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic horror film The Birds? These were the thoughts that crossed some people’s minds when they saw a viral video of a large flock of blackbirds.
viral video, First posted on TikTok January 23, 2023 Pan the streets of a residential neighborhood with over 400,000 likes. Blackbirds are everywhere: on the streets, in cars, and in homes.
The video was reposted a month later on February 21, 2023. currently deleted tweets It has been played over 700,000 times. “In Mexico, birds have started flocking to the streets,” the poster wrote. “The main theory behind this is that birds are sensing that an environmental crisis is coming.” murmur with the same words It was reposted a few days later and has 4 million views.
question
Is this blackbird swarm indicative of an impending natural disaster?
source of information
answer
No, this swarm of blackbirds does not indicate an imminent natural disaster. Birds of this species usually gather in large numbers in winter.
what we found
During the winter, blackbirds frequently congregate in huge numbers, and these flocks are common visitors to residential areas. , no disaster occurred in the area where the video was shot.
Three seconds into the TikTok video, we see a license plate from the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico.seems like a neighborhood in the city of Santiago de Queretaro just above the Guanajuato border.
Several studies have been conducted based on anecdotal evidence that birds can predict earthquakes, United States Geological Survey (USGS) No consistent and reliable evidence of this behavior has yet been found.many earthquake monitor indicate that there was No devastating earthquakes in central Mexico A month since the bird video was first posted. A Google search for disasters in Queretaro and Central Mexico in 2023 reveals that there are no other disasters in the area.
according to National Audubon Society The Cornell Institute of Ornithology has several different species of blackbirds found in central Mexico during winter. brewers blackbird, european starling, brown headed cowbird, red-winged blackbird and the Great glass.
Brewer’s blackbirds are common in residential areas, parks, city streets, suburban sidewalks, and power lines. It feeds on the ground and often flocks with other species. Cornell Laboratories Say.
According to the Cornell Institute, blackbirds “may be in flocks of millions of birds, including other species of blackbirds and starlings. Their roosts spread out every morning, traveling up to 50 miles in search of food.” , reshapes at night.”
Other guides on blackbirds from the Cornell Institute and the National Audubon Society make similar references to large mixed-species herds, ground feeding, and urban habitats.
Mixed-species flocks of blackbirds and starlings, estimated to number in the millions, have been sighted for decades. His 1964 red-winged blackbird flock found in Arkansas was estimated to have included 40 million birds. Columbia Audubon Societya flock believed to be contains millions of birds In the past few years alone, it has been found several times within six Missouri county areas covered by the Audubon Society of Columbia.
Another name for such flocks is “murmurs.” UNC Charlotte Urban Institute Say. This flocking pattern is effective in reducing the chances of individual birds being eaten by predators. lots of videos Hundreds of tweets have been posted on YouTube over the years depicting rivers of birds flying in awe-inspiring synchronized motion.
No city is immune from these incredible flocks of birds. Many videos of flocks of starlings fly above, Descend to RomeBlackbird flocks are so common in cities that many wildlife experts have posted guides on ‘controlling pesky blackbirds’ in urban roosts. This is from the University of Missouri.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/verify/environment-verify/blackbird-flock-mexico-normal-viral-video-shows-millions-thousands-bird-murmuration/536-4543f525-bae1-47ed-81dd-5c1414da7efa Blackbirds swarming Mexican streets in viral videos not uncommon