Not as many dead blackbirds in Ark. town this year

BEEBE, Ark. (AP) - January 1, 2012 (WPVI) -- Authorities in a central Arkansas town say about 100 blackbirds died on New Year's Eve after being spooked by fireworks, far less than the thousands that perished there a year ago.

Beebe police Lt. Brian Duke said Sunday that officials asked local residents who were celebrating the year's end to stop setting off fireworks after blackbirds again started flying into objects and each other.

The state Game and Fish Commission says someone appears to have targeted a blackbird roost this year and that there was evidence of fireworks at the roost.

Large numbers of migrating blackbirds roost in the community northeast of Little Rock. Last year, fireworks were blamed after thousands of birds were rousted from their roosts and flew into homes, cars, telephone poles and each other.

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