A "mysterious illness" is plaguing "hundreds" of birds across the southern and midwestern U.S., leaving them with "crusty eyes, swollen faces, and the inability to fly," say The Guardian and HuffPost. Reports of such afflictions began in the spring, and scientists are still unsure as to their cause.
Other potential symptoms include seizures or loss of balance — birds may even "just sit still, often kind of shaking," said Kate Slankard, a biologist of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
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