Large Swarm of Birds Circles Over Mianzhu, Sichuan, Causing Panic Among Netizens

On the evening of September 3, 2026, a significant number of flying animals were seen circling and gathering over Mianzhu, Sichuan, prompting many netizens to speculate whether this phenomenon was linked to a major earthquake. (Video screenshot)

[People News] In recent times have been a series of natural disasters and man-made calamities in mainland China, leaving the public on edge. Any minor disturbance sends everyone into a state of anxiety. Just as September began, another strange occurrence has taken place!

On the evening of September 3, a dense flock of birds, along with bats, suddenly appeared in the sky over Mianzhu, swirling and gathering in a way that resembled a scene from a disaster film! The following evening (September 4), a mysterious loud noise was reported over Chuzhou, Anhui, further unsettling the public.

When people saw the sky filled with birds in Mianzhu, what was their immediate reaction? 'It’s over, is a major earthquake on the way?!'

After all, Mianzhu is located right next to Wenchuan and Beichuan, which were heavily impacted during the Wenchuan earthquake! The traumatic memories of that disaster were instantly revived. Netizens commented: 'Natural anomalies must precede natural disasters,' and 'Animals are far more sensitive to changes in the geomagnetic field than humans; this is definitely not a good omen!'

And what happened next? A miraculous 'divine coincidence' indeed occurred!

On the evening of the 3rd at 7:39 PM, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Beichuan County, which is close to Mianzhu! Tremors were felt even in Chengdu and Xi'an. The internet erupted with reactions, with many declaring, 'The prophecy has come true,' and lamenting, 'Look, the birds have already issued a warning; animals are much more reliable than experts!' 

In response, the Mianzhu Emergency Management Bureau and the Planning Bureau quickly issued a statement to debunk the rumors, asserting, 'There is currently no earthquake warning,' and clarifying, 'Most of these birds are swallows; they are simply gathering to migrate south for the winter as autumn has arrived, and this has nothing to do with earthquakes. Everyone, please don’t scare yourselves.' 

This official debunking prompted laughter among netizens. Some immediately countered, 'Come on! Before the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, there were also thousands of frogs migrating in Mianzhu, and at that time, didn’t the experts confidently declare it a “normal natural phenomenon”? Wasn’t this the same narrative before the Tangshan earthquake?' 

In China, people have learned from experience: whenever official experts come out to debunk rumors, it often makes everyone feel even less secure. This type of debunking has even been dubbed 'debunking-style forecasting'—when experts say there’s nothing to worry about, people tend to feel they should quickly pack their belongings and prepare to evacuate! 

Of course, there are a few 'rationalists' online attempting to provide explanations, noting that it is indeed common for swallows to gather and migrate south during this season, or that the streetlights in the evening attract flying insects, leading the birds to congregate to catch bugs, and this doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with an earthquake.

Regardless, the panic caused by this 'flock of birds circling' reveals a profound distrust among the public towards official denials, as well as a deep-rooted trauma from past disasters.

Particularly, just after the birds had circled, an earthquake struck Beichuan that very night, which starkly contradicted the official narrative and allowed the 'animal warning theory' to take precedence. In an environment characterized by opaque information and unconvincing disaster prevention measures, the public prefers to believe in the circling birds rather than trust the reassurances from experts any longer!
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