Environment

‘Slamming Into the Pavement’: Migratory Birds Confuse Walmart Parking Lot for Water

ST. GEORGE, Utah (The Blaze/AP) — A group of migratory birds had enough of flying for one day and began their descent through stormy clouds toward what they must have identified as a prime body of water for rest. But instead, thousands of these birds slammed into a Walmart parking lot, killing some on impact and leaving volunteers to rescue those that survived.

Descending Migratory Birds Confuse Utah Walmart Parking Lot for Water Killing Thousands

Official depositing rescued grebes in a body of water. (Photo: Lynne Chamberlain via The Spectrum)

One wildlife expert called the worst downing she’s ever seen.

Crews went to work cleaning up the dead birds and rescuing the survivors after the creatures crash-landed in the St. George area Monday night.

By Tuesday evening, volunteers had rescued more than 2,000 birds, releasing them into nearby bodies of water.

“They’re just everywhere,” said Teresa Griffin, 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.”

Officials say stormy conditions probably confused the flock of grebes, a duck-like aquatic bird likely making its way to Mexico for the winter. The birds tried to land in a Cedar City Wal-Mart parking lot and elsewhere.

“The storm clouds over the top of the city lights made it look like a nice, flat body of water. All the conditions were right,” Griffin told The Spectrum newspaper in St. George. “So the birds landed to rest, but ended up slamming into the pavement.”

No human injuries or property damage have been reported.

It’s not uncommon for birds to mistake hard surfaces for water. However, Griffin noted most downing are localized, while “this was very widespread.”

“I‘ve been here 15 years and this was the worst downing I’ve seen,” she told the newspaper.

Wildlife officials said they were continuing the rescue effort that started Tuesday afternoon and included an enthusiastic group of volunteers. The Spectrum has more on the volunteers:

Cedar City resident Stephen Gwin was among the volunteers who worked all night and into the day helping DWR officials gather the surviving birds. A wildlife enthusiast with an environmental biology degree, Gwin saw the effort as an opportunity to learn and help animals.

“I have never in my life encountered such a thing,” he said. “I’ve heard of fish die-offs and other strange natural phenomenon, but I’ve never experienced one before. It was very strange, but very fun.”

He added that he probably collected close to 100 birds since he began pitching in around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

“I had never seen (a grebe) up close and I didn’t know that much about them,” he said. “It brought it all home to me — I’ve seen this on T.V. and now I’m living it.”

Descending Migratory Birds Confuse Utah Walmart Parking Lot for Water Killing Thousands

A grebe. (Photo: Lynne Chamberlain via The Spectrum)

The surviving grebes were gathered up — some in cardboard boxes — and dropped into bodies of water in southern Utah’s Washington County, including a pond near Hurricane.

Residents who came across remaining grebes were asked to either call wildlife officials or bring the birds to their office.

“If we can put them on a body of water that’s not frozen over, they’ll have a better chance of survival,” said Lynn Chamberlain, a wildlife agency spokesman.

[H/T Business Insider]

Comments (40)

  • karmartDave
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 6:56pm

    need more teryaki over here.

    Report Post » karmartDave  
  • jespasinthru
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 3:52pm

    So why don’t they paint the parking lot red, or polka-dot or something? The solution is so obvious. Why is it so hard for certain people to grow a brain?

    Report Post » jespasinthru  
  • JRook
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 3:20pm

    Come on it was a protest against the 2 for 1 special on Made in China bird seed.

    Report Post »  
  • Jenny Lind
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 2:20pm

    Poor critters, so much in the world is against them anymore. Just remember we are called to be stewards of the lesser critters. No joke.

    Report Post »  
  • iblvingd
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 1:34pm

    Another avian confusion incident caused by HAARP?

    Report Post »  
  • yanki161
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 12:42pm

    Okay, I admit it. I was hoping for a photo from the parking lot.

    Report Post » yanki161  
  • TNT_Party
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 9:59am

    It‘s Bush’s fault. Somehow… just ask your local environmentalist.

    Wal-Mart huh? Aren’t the barbeque grills on sale right now? I’m pretty sure they carry hot sauce on aisle 5 as well

    Report Post »  
  • 2SENSEWORTH
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 9:15am

    Just like America confused themselves that Obama was presidential.

    Report Post » 2SENSEWORTH  
  • KusoJiJi
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 7:14am

    sort of analogous of Ron Paul supporters. just takes one bird to follow the leader and the rest will follow. i’m with Ron Paul on all his economic landings but something is telling me to pull up on his foreign policy landing. i’m landing with the ducks on that one.

    Report Post » KusoJiJi  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 7:35am

      So prepetual war for you? We are the world’s police force and you like that? You like spending a TRILLION dollars on a war that will end in a civil war, WITH nothing SHOWN IN RETURN? You think Israel is so weak that it needs us at all? You love nation building with our tax money? You like getting our boys killed for no good reason? You like sending drones in to kill bad guys that can never get to the US, but you see them as some sort of threat? You think our borders are secure? You think our troops are not spread OUT AS THIN AS PEANUT BUTTER ON A CHEAP SANDWICH? You would rather have our troops getting killed in foriegn lands instead of being safe in the HOMELAND?

      People who think like this are still asleep. Let the world fight for power and oil. We have enough here if we will end the EPA and we damn sure dont need to be nation building.

      Wake up FOOLS!

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • I.Gaspar
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 7:39am

      excellent.

      Report Post »  
    • c0mm0nsense
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 7:41am

      Its not about one man, it’s a movement of and for the Constitution.
      Come Join The Revolution.

      Paul 2012

      Report Post » c0mm0nsense  
    • Baddoggy
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 8:46am

      I am sick of the Ron Paul bashers who have not even listened to him. I too was once an RP basher until I finally LISTENED! He is the ONLY Constitutionally sound candidate in the race…But you dum@asses would rather have a NEWT…How dumb is that???

      Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • c0mm0nsense
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 9:21am

      @baddoggy
      Learn to spot a troll and lighten up on the names, you fall right into the trap. I too use to be a Paul basher, it was not being call stupid that changed my mind. It was facts, stick to them.

      Report Post » c0mm0nsense  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 7:14am

    They should put up a sign: “Warning! This is not water”.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • SpankDaMonkey
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 8:20am

      .
      I think Purple & Gold look good on you………….

      Did you have anything to do with our missing “Flying Santa”?……….

      Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • qpwillie
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 6:58am

    Grebes are not related to ducks. They are of the order, “Podicipediformes”. Ducks are “anseriformes”.

    Now if you’ll all turn to page 128, we’ll begin the chapter on mammals.

    Report Post » qpwillie  
  • Baddoggy
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 6:38am

    My birddog is out painting the Walmart parking lot blue as we speak…Daddy needs dinner!

    Report Post » Baddoggy  
    • KangarooJack
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 9:45am

      LOL That’s why I have a food scrap pile out my back door. JUST in case the SHTF…I’ve got some really cute critters invited to dinner. {The skunk is waaaay down the menu though}.

      Report Post » KangarooJack  
  • Humnbrd
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 6:25am

    The tree-huggers will demand that all hard flat surfaces be covered in playground rubber mulch.

    Report Post »  
  • slvrserfr
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 6:08am

    The EPA will probably blame Bush and then mandate Wal-mart to turn their parking lot into a pond because to them, these birds have more rights than citizens and they would condemn the establishment as an environmental hazard and claim the birds are an endangered species.

    Report Post »  
  • lodgerat
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 5:41am

    I think the Wal Mart should be torn down and a great big lake put in it’s place. Remember birds and other little creatures have the right of way.

    Report Post » lodgerat  
    • lodgerat
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 5:49am

      I also think Wal Mart should pay for the funerals for the many poor little duckies that died on their lot and payments should be made to the living relatives of the poor little dead duckies.The remaining duckies should be given safe haven and also be given Social Security and healthcare.

      Report Post » lodgerat  
    • TRUTHCRUSHESLIES
      Posted on December 15, 2011 at 9:29am

      PETA President?

      Report Post »  
  • momsense
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 4:33am

    OMG ! I bet the EPA starts to demand that we have no parking lots anymore—–can’t inconveniencce the little birdies.

    Report Post »  
  • marine249
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 2:55am

    whats next? sue walmart

    Report Post »  
  • jim
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 1:41am

    Or maybe the birds were after that $2 waffle iron.

    Report Post » jim  
  • abbygirl1994
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 1:28am

    Makes you wonder about the poor birds who died because of the windmills.. oh where oh where has my PETA gone.. hypocrites where is your love for the animals..

    Report Post » abbygirl1994  
  • Diane TX
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 1:13am

    I’ve had an occasional bird fly into my half-moon window that’s on my back porch. The impact is very loud, and yep, there’s always a dead bird to be found there. I do my best to remove the dead bird before my two, very small, dogs find it.

    Report Post »  
  • garyM
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 12:36am

    There is always a lead duck and it appears the lead duck was a muslim Jihad duck with a suicide vest on! You gotta watch out and never follow a lead duck unless he is trustworthy! They may have the same feathers and quack the same but that don’t mean anything! Birds of a feather, flock together!

    Report Post »  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 12:32am

    Poor animals. They sure have it rough these days, with all the loss of habitat.
    God bless those rescuers.

    Report Post »  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 12:14am

    They flew in for the low low prices, on ashphalt….

    Report Post »  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on December 15, 2011 at 12:12am

    Nature is SO interesting…..

    But do not let Al Gore know about this , he will blame it on global.. errr… I mean climate change! It is man’s fault!

    (smirk)

    Report Post » Stoic one  

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love