Hurricane-prone states The day in pictures Get the USA TODAY app Start the day smarter ☀️ U.S. Elections Sports Entertainment Life Money Tech Travel Opinion ONLY AT USA TODAY: Newsletters For Subscribers From the Archives Crossword eNewspaper Magazines Investigations Podcasts Video Humankind Just Curious Best-selling Booklist 24/7 Live Stream Legals OUR PORTFOLIO: 10Best USAT Wine Club Reviewed Homefront Blueprint Southern Kitchen Best Auto Insurance Best Pet Insurance Best Travel Insurance Best Credit Cards Best CD Rates Best Personal Loans Home Internet FACT CHECK Railroad Accidents and Disasters Add Topic # Fact check: Image shows birds that died in 2018, not from Ohio train derailment ![\\"Portrait](\\"/gcdn/presto/2022/08/01/PLOU/a5065278-43ed-484a-bd97-e3b5ff70a885-IMG_1224_insta.JPEG?crop=3318,3318,x1290,y0&width=48&height=48&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\") Eleanor McCrary USA TODAY ![\\"\\"](\\"/gcdn/presto/2023/02/14/USAT/a162dd55-e07a-47f0-904e-69e1382a8709-AP_Train_Derailment_Ohio_5.jpg?crop=3145,1770,x13,y0&width=660&height=371&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\"/) PlayPause Sound OnSound Off 0:00 0:44 AD SKIP ClosedCaptionOpen ShareEnter Full ScreenExit Full Screen ## The claim: Image shows birds dead in Kentucky after Ohio train derailment A Feb. 16 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) features an image of a dozen birds lying dead on a street. \"Maybe we should be concerned with what\'s going on In Ohio,\" reads the caption. \"These birds dropped de@d in Ky.\" The post was shared over 600 times in less than a day. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks ## Our rating: False This image is not from Kentucky and predates the Ohio train derailment. It was taken in Arkansas and has been circulating online since at least 2018. ## Photo was taken over four years ago in Arkansas On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, resulting in the controlled release of toxic chemicals into the environment, USA TODAY reported. Fact check:Baseless claim that Ohio train derailment was a \'false flag\' operation The birds in this photo did not die from those chemicals, though. The image was taken in Little Rock, Arkansas, in April 2018, long before the train derailment, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The birds likely died after eating fermented berries, according to an ornithologist quoted in the Democrat-Gazette article. When birds eat the alcoholic berries, they become intoxicated and fall out of trees or off buildings and die, the ornithologist said. As of Feb. 20, the only animal deaths confirmed to have been caused by the derailment are 3,500 fish in Ohio, USA TODAY previously reported. However, there are anecdotal reports of animals in East Palestine becoming sick soon after the Feb. 3 wreck. No such impact has been seen in Kentucky, however, the border of which is hundreds of miles away from East Palestine. \"We are always concerned with the health of the fish and wildlife in our rivers,\" Kevin Kelly, with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, told USA TODAY on Feb. 17. \"Fortunately, there are no acute impacts expected to fish and wildlife in the Kentucky portion of the Ohio River based on current information and testing.\" USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the post for comment. ## Our fact-check sources: * Kevin Kelly, Feb. 17, Email exchange with USA TODAY * Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, April 10, 2018, Dead birds found in downtown Little Rock possibly intoxicated from fermented berries, expert says * USA TODAY, Feb. 20, Fact check: What\'s true and false about the Ohio train derailment * USA TODAY, Feb. 18, Ohio train derailment: FEMA headed to East Palestine; clinic to open Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. Featured Weekly Ad About Us Newsroom Staff Ethical Principles Responsible Disclosure Request a Correction Press Releases Accessibility Sitemap Subscription Terms & Conditions Terms of Service Privacy Policy Your Privacy Choices Contact Us Help Center Manage Account Give Feedback Get Home Delivery eNewspaper USA TODAY Shop USA TODAY Print Editions Licensing & Reprints Advertise With Us Advertising Acceptance Policy Careers Internships Support Local Business News Tips Submitting letters to the editor Podcasts Newsletters Mobile Apps Facebook X Instagram LinkedIn Threads YouTube Reddit Flipboard 10Best USAT Wine Club Reviewed Best-selling Booklist Southern Kitchen Jobs Sports Betting Sports Weekly Studio Gannett Classifieds Homefront Home Internet Blueprint Auto Insurance Pet Insurance Travel Insurance Credit Cards Banking Personal Loans LLC Formation Payroll Software © 2024 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC.
Image shows birds dead in Kentucky after Ohio train derailment