Many media reports have speculated that the birds might have died due to toxicity in the area. Some kind of avian disease too is being suspected. A clearer picture will emerge only when the lab test reports are out.
On November 10, 2019, tourists visiting Sambhar lake in Rajasthan's Jaipur district, made a grisly discovery. Thousands of dead birds like this black winged stilt.
This photographer was one of the first journalists on the scene. Over 2,300 dead birds have been buried in mass graves in the area, he says. But the death toll is expected to cross 8,000, according to him.