Numerous locals woke to discover hundreds dead birds, convinced it was just some more of the rash of mysterious mass deaths that have taken place around the globe in the early part of 2011.
The United States government quickly took responsibility for killing hundreds of birds in Yankton, South Dakota.
Posing a danger to the animals and farm workers, five thousand birds were defecating in the feed meal of a feedlot. USDA decided to poison the birds with bait, laced with poison DCR-1339.
Officials had not expected the birds to fly nearly 10 kilometres, before succumbing to the poison.
Normal reports of mass deaths average around 3.4 per week. The beginning of 2011 has seen this number greatly exceeded globally. Authorities say the deaths are not connected, but have both local authorities and scientists baffled.
They include:
United States of America
2 million fish died in Maryland from extreme cold, overpopulation and lack of oxygen
200 cows on a farm in Wisconsin. It is believed pneumonia, infectious bovine rhino tracheitisor, or some other highly infectious disease, may have caused the deaths
500 small birds fell from the skies in Louisiana.
In Arkansas 5000 blackbirds were supposedly traumatized from New Year Eve fireworks, causing the birds to crash into stationary objects
100,000 dead bottom-feeding drum fish washed up on river banks, also in Arkansas. Disease is thought to be the cause
Wildlife veterinarian says an estimated 450 birds died near Baton Rouge from flying into a power line
Charleston residents found 100s of dead jellyfish and starfish wash up on shore. Extreme cold was blamed
Lack of oxygen is believed to have caused the death of 1000s of gizzard fish found on Chicagos lakeshore
In Louisiana around 500 blackbirds and starlings littered a small stretch of highway
Around 100 grackles fell on the side of a California highway and 300 in Alabama
New Jersey, Massachusetts and South Carolina had to cope with millions of dead fish following record-breaking cold temperatures
10-20,000 gizzard shad were found dead in Lake Meredith, Texas, due to toxic algae bloom
Kentucky also reported mass roadside deaths. Many believe that a semi-truck or some other vehicle was responsible for the deaths, as the birds appeared to have broken beaks and backs
200 birds were found dead on a highway bridge in Texas
some other of fish died in Spruce Creek in Florida
Dozens of pelicans have washed ashore, shot, bludgeoned and decapitated in North Carolina. These deaths were obviously human originated
70 bats found dead in Arizona had been shot with a BB gun.
Canada:
Just across the border from Detroit, in Sarnia, Ontario, on the St. Clair River, hundreds of shad fish washed-up dead
On a farm near Quebec City around 80 pigeons died
Haiti:
On the beach in Haiti dozens of dead fish washed up
Brazil:
Approximately 500 dead penguins washed up on the coasts of Brazil. Scientists believe the animals starved to death
200 tons of mainly sardines washed up on beaches in Paranagua, Brazil
Japan:
Hundreds of dead fish found on the beaches
Asia:
1000s of fish died in Indias Yamuna River. Dumping of industrial waste and chemicals were thought to be the cause
Naklua Canal, Thailand, thousands of sucker fish died
150 tonnes of red tilapias died in Don Thap, Vietnam on 41 fish farms through polluted water from ebb tides, which lowered the oxygen levels in the overcrowded pens
Middle East:
In the Iranian sector of the Caspian Sea, Iran, mass fish deaths were reported
New Zealand:
While a carpet of dead fish floated out at sea, hundreds of dead snapper washed ashore on the Coromandel beaches in New Zealand
Australia:
Tens of thousands of fish died in Jarvis Bay. The weeks of heavy rain are being blamed
Europe:
In England 40,000 crabs washed up on the beaches, believed to have died from extreme cold
Approximately 100 jackdaws died in Sweden from what appeared to be external blows causing internal bleeding
100's of dead fish were discovered in a pond in Manchester, England
In Italy nearly 1,000 pigeons and turtle doves fell out of the sky. Possible cause was poisoning, or lack of oxygen.
Italy also saw dozens of starlings die after overeating grapes left over from the wine-making season
Romania also experienced hundred of deaths as birds, believed to have died from alcohol poisoning from an overdose of left over grapes.
Greg Butcher, director of bird conservation at the Audubon Society, said "Mass bird die-offs can be caused by starvation, storms, disease, pesticide, collision with man-made structures or human disturbance ... Initial findings indicate that these are isolated incidents that were probably caused by disturbance and disorientation."
In numerous instances the cause of death may never be clearly known. Many people are beginning to ask if this is the commencement of the fulfillment of various prophecies in the Bible? Someone has dubbed it 'aflockalypse', while conspiracy theorists blame government experiments. There are some scientists who believe that recent events may be a world-wide disaster, or caused by testing of biological weapons.