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Youngfox
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Bird deaths puzzle UnalaskaMore than 1,600 sea bird carcasses have washed onto Unalaska shores over the last two days in a mysterious die-off that scientists are scrambling to understand.
Some say they may have died of hunger. Others say they're smashing into boats.
Maybe it's both, some scientists said.
Several hundred black, gull-like shearwaters died after flying into a crabbing boat that steamed through the early morning darkness in Unalaska Bay on Wednesday morning, said Forrest Bowers, a fisheries biologist for the state Department of Fish and Game in Unalaska.
The captain of the boat walked into Bowers' office that day to report that a hail of shearwaters struck his boat for up to 30 minutes, Bowers said. The crew pitched the dead and dying birds overboard, the captain said, according to Bowers.
Bowers would not release the captain's name, saying he requested anonymity.
The captain reported that other boats were in the area and may also have been bombarded by the sea birds, Bowers said.
It's happened before in Unalaska, but usually not in such big numbers, Bowers said.