There is a place in Assam where thousands of birds commit suicide.
Jatinga, a scenic village nestling among the Borail Hills range, is quite famous as a bird’s suicide point. Every year from the month of September to November, Jatinga makes headlines due to the suicide of birds. Not only local birds but also migratory birds reach this place and commit suicide.
The tendency to commit suicide is common in humans, but it is rare in case of birds. In this village, birds fly fast and hit a building or tree, killing them. The strangest thing is that birds do this from 7 pm to 10 pm, while in normal weather these birds tend to go out during the day and return to the nest at night.
Nearly 40 species of local and migratory birds are involved in this race of suicide. Jatinga remains isolated from the outside world for nine months due to natural reasons. Not only this, entry into the village at night is prohibited. Bird experts believe that magnetic force is the cause of this mysterious phenomenon.
In the damp and foggy weather, winds blow rapidly, so birds fly near light-sourcing objects. Due to the lack of light, they do not see clearly, and they collide with a building or trees or vehicles. It was forbidden to drive trains in this village due to lack of light.
The people of Jatinga believe some mythical powers or some extraterrestrial force blends with the winds, which causes the birds to end their lives. They also believe that the mobility of humans amid this can be dangerous.
Allegedly, the suicide of birds has been going on since 1910, but the outside world came to know about this in 1957. In the year 1957, ornithologist E.P. Gee, a British tea planter mentioned about the same in his book ‘Wild Life of India’ in 1957.
Many scientists from India and abroad have done research on this phenomenon, but the exact reason has not yet been ascertained.
