Mysterious Starling Drownings Investigated as Groups Perish Together

Young common starlings seem to be suffering from an unusual cause of death: drowning. Now, researchers are taking a closer look at what's happening in this puzzling case.

Drowning as a cause of death among wild birds is comparatively rare and normally involves single rather than multiple animals. Starlings, though, have been seen to drown in groups of 10 or more, prompting scientists to take a closer look at these unusual occurrences.

The researchers studied 12 separate incidents of starling drownings recorded between 1993 and 2013. They found that on 10 of these occasions, more than 10 birds drowned. All of these incidents occurred during the spring and early summer months.

"Drowning appears to be a more common cause of death amongst young birds, as they may be inexperienced in identifying water hazards," said Becki Lawson, the lead author of the new study, in a news release. "This combined with the fact that starlings are a highly social species could potentially explain why multiple birds drown together."

Water can be a valuable resource for wild birds in the summer months. However, it's important to add a sloping exit or ramp to water features in order to help birds and other animals easily access and exit water sources. In this case, it seems as if the starlings are simply seeking water in groups and may just share the same fate due to inexperience.

The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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