Climate anomalies as a factor of bird mortality in northern Yakutia

Five cases of mass mortality among shorebirds and small passerines under adverse weather conditions caused by a combination of several factors during spring migration were observed in the tundra and northern taiga between the Lena and Kolyma rivers in the period between 1978 and 2008. A tendency toward an increase in the frequency and spatial extent of such phenomena is noted. Data are presented on the species composition, numbers, and localization of dying birds as well as on the timing of mortality and its meteorological and ecological prerequisites, including relevant behavioral patterns.