Is 5G responsible for bird deaths?
The Hague, Thurgau, Croatia – all these regions have experienced massive bird deaths in recent years. The rumour that 5G is responsible for the bird deaths is persistent. But what is the truth of the rumour?
In recent years, social networks have been full of reports and pictures of countless dead birds lying in the streets. In autumn 2018, for example, 337 birds died in the Dutch city of The Hague alone. Rumours quickly spread that the test of a 5G network was the cause of the animals’ deaths. By the way: If you want to know what the 5G coverage is like in your home country, you can find the information in our network coverage map.
The so-called 5G birds lay dead under the tree
In connection with the alleged 5G test, birds suddenly fell dead from the trees of a park in The Hague. In addition, there were ducks swimming on a body of water in the area in question, which protected themselves from the alleged 5G radiation by dipping their heads under water.
The cause of death for the birds that fell from the trees is said to have been heart failure, triggered by microwaves as known from a 5G network.
It is true that dead birds were indeed found in a park in The Hague in October and November 2018. The animals died in groups on different days over a period of two months. So were there several 5G tests on different days?
In view of the 5G speculation, the staff of the bird care organisation Vogelopvang de Wulp had asked the Antenna Office whether there had been a 5G test in the vicinity of Huijgenspark, which authorities had denied.
Examinations of some of the dead birds showed that they had poisoned themselves with plant components of the yew tree. It was noticeable from the beginning that the stomachs of the collected birds were empty. This indicates that the animals had vomited.
It is assumed that the starlings have eaten red berries from yew trees. The flesh of these berries cannot harm the animals per se. However, the starlings might also have eaten parts of yew trees cut off by humans, as Vogelopvang de Wulp suspects. This is because such tree cuttings contain the poison that is deadly for the birds.
Dead birds in Croatia
In June 2020, there were again reports of bird deaths on social networks, this time in Croatia (the location was not named by the author). The German research portal CORRECTIV investigated this matter and came to the conclusion that this was a false report. A reverse search of the pictures revealed that they were not taken in Croatia, but years earlier in Italy. The birds died in a storm after the tree in which they were nesting fell.
Bird deaths in Thurgau
A bird death also occurred in Thurgau, Switzerland, in early 2020, when over 100 starlings fell dead from the sky. Scientists from the Centre for Fish and Wildlife Medicine at the University of Bern examined the dead starlings and found that they died of lung bleeding and trauma. These are signs that these birds must have collided with something – and starlings fly in large, dense flocks of several hundred. Since the birds were found next to the road, a collision with a truck is plausible.
How to spot 5G falsehoods
False reports like this often do the rounds. Even if you think you see a connection – this is not always the case. It is easier to assume that 5G is responsible for bird deaths than to research the actual causes. The multitude of dubious sites on the internet does not make things any easier.
Approach the matter with an open mind
Those who already have a fixed opinion in advance will also be very receptive to similar messages without realising it.
Check the website
Do you know the website? Does it have a strange URL? How is the design of the website: old-fashioned and cluttered, or modern? Does it overwhelm you with flashing banners or excessive advertising? Is there an author above or below the article? If so, is there any information about the author? All these points distinguish reputable websites from dubious ones. Google the author’s name and website – how do other sites report?
Check the surroundings of the message
Dubious websites often stand out because of conspiracy theories, alarmist tones or clever journalistic tricks, such as rhetorical questions in the headline or omissions. Check the image material: Is it gloomy and apocalyptic? Then that is not a sign of seriousness.
Check the primary source
Often, dubious websites disseminate the news only second-hand. Therefore, a search for the source of origin often yields completely different information than stated in the article. A search may even yield fact checks by reputable media such as Mimikama or CORRECTIV.
Serious sites link to the original sources and thus substantiate their claims. Are so-called experts quoted in the article? If so, how well known are they and what entitles them to comment on the issue? Check the organisations and companies for which these experts work.
Does the author/website want to sell something?
The fact that a website wants to sell something and also mentions this in the texts is not a bad thing per se – after all, we also live from it 😉 However, you can recognise dubious websites by the fact that they want to sell you useless items at completely overpriced prices and at the same time promise you the moon.
Conclusion: 5G is not responsible for bird deaths
The fact is that a lot of research still needs to be done on the new mobile communications standard – but 5G does not reinvent the wheel. Many of the earlier research results can therefore also be transferred to 5G. Unfortunately, it is also a fact that many charlatans take advantage of people’s ignorance and ignorance and spread conspiracy theories. With the tips described above, however, you can better recognise conspiracy theories and false reports in the future. In our article “Is 5G dangerous? “you will find out why it is not and how 5G works. You can find everything about 5G in our 5G overview.
This article was created on 2 June 2021 and updated on 25 November 2024.
