Bizarre Bird Deaths in California, USA

Since February 2025, over 50 birds have suddenly “exploded” in flight and crashed to their deaths in Richmond, California, the bodies accompanied by detached limbs and burn marks. Officials rule out electrocution and BB gun attacks, but investigation stalls. Initial tests showed similar “high velocity impact injuries” to the birds’ internal organs, but no chemical toxins or signs of disease were found. The public speculated that a new bird repellent device or unknown technological experiment was involved, while environmental groups called for a sweep of the risks of emissions from a nearby pesticide plant. The incident highlights the vulnerability of ecosystems to human activity, as seen in the 2011 mass crash of blackbirds in Arkansas, USA, but this “explosion” is much rarer in character.