Silent Dawn as Australian Birds Mysteriously Fall Dead out of the Sky

An Australian red wattlebird, one of several species that have mysteriously died by the thousands.

Thousands of birds have dropped dead out of the sky around the Western Australia beach town of Esperance during the past three weeks, leaving wildlife experts baffled as to the cause.

The main victims have been wattlebirds, yellow-throated miners and two species of honeyeaters, but dead crows, pigeons and hawks have also been found.

Some birds were seen convulsing as they died. The Department of Environment and Conservation says it has almost ruled out disease, and a toxin is considered the most likely cause of the deaths.

Birds Australia, the nation's main bird conservation group, said it had not heard of a similar mass bird death anywhere in the country before.

"Not on that scale, and all at the same time, and also the fact that it's several different species," chief executive Graeme Hamilton told The Australian. "You'd have to call that a most unusual event and one that we'd all have to be concerned about."

Residents say there are no songbirds of any type left around Esperance, leaving an eerie silence at dawn due to their absence.

Photo: Dan Hare