Why Are Birds Dying?

September 18, 2020 – Last weekend, Algernon D’Ammassa at the Las Cruces Sun-News broke the story that migratory birds were being found dead in various places around the state. The die-off could be affecting hundreds of thousands–even millions–of birds. Some birds have died, others are showing odd behaviors. Still others have been blown off-course, which means New Mexico has been seeing unusual migrating visitors, too. Correspondent Laura Paskus speaks with Dr. Martha Desmond, a professor at New Mexico State University’s  Department of Fishery and Wildlife Sciences, and Jonathan Hayes, executive director of Audubon New Mexico. If you’ve seen bird carcasses, you can report them via iNaturalist’s Southwest Avian Mortality Project. 

Correspondent: Laura Paskus

Guests:
Martha Desmond, ornithologist, New Mexico State University
Jonathan Hayes, executive director, Audubon New Mexico