Bird 'Bermuda Triangle' Claims Hundreds of Pigeons

There's a new Bermuda Triangle—but this one's for the birds. Racing pigeons, who are supposed to rush home when released far away, are disappearing in northern England, the Telegraph reports. Just 13 of 232 birds released in North Yorkshire last weekend made it to their destinations, and more had already disappeared in the same area. Many shocked pigeon racers have lost more than half their animals, and the birds aren't cheap: They can be worth more than $300,000 each.

"It is the worst year in the memory of people who have been racing for 60 years," says one participant in the odd sport. No one knows the cause, but it could be that the birds are getting knocked off course as they try to avoid unusually-frequent summer showers. Another possibility: Solar activity may be disrupting magnetic fields—or a nearby spy base's signals may be ruffling feathers. (More pigeon stories.)