Mystery over deaths of 1,000 blackbirds

Wildlife officials in the US state of Arkansas are trying to determine what caused more than 1,000 blackbirds to die and fall from the sky.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission said it began receiving reports on Friday night. The birds fell over a one-mile area around the town of Beebe, and an aerial survey indicated that no other dead birds were found outside of that area.

Commission ornithologist Karen Rowe said the birds showed physical trauma, and she speculated that the flock could have been hit by lightning or high-altitude hail.

The commission also said that New Year's Eve revellers setting off fireworks in the area could have startled the birds and caused them to die from stress.

A wildlife officer for the agency collected about 65 dead birds, which will be sent for testing. However, Ms Rowe said similar events have occurred elsewhere and that test results "usually were inconclusive".