Bird flu hits migrating cranes hard in Germany as the virus flares up

LINUM, Germany (AP) — In a spot outside Berlin that’s usually a paradise for birdwatchers, volunteers have recovered nearly 2,000 dead cranes in recent days as bird flu has hit the migrating birds hard. Linum, a small village about an hour’s travel from the German capital, is a popular resting spot for thousands of cranes as they migrate between the Baltic and Nordic regions and southern Europe. But this month, many of the birds’ journeys have ended in the ponds and fields that surround it. The deaths come as bird flu has flared up early in Germany this year. By Fanny Brodersen, Associated PressThis article was originally published on