ENVR DNR investigating sick, dying songbirds in Indiana counties

TerriHaute

TerriHaute

Hoosier Gardener
fox59.com

DNR investigating sick, dying songbirds in Indiana counties

MONROE COUNTY, Ind.–Indiana Department of Natural Resources is investigating after reports of sick and dying songbirds in five counties. It said the five counties are Monroe, Clark, Jefferson…
fox59.com fox59.com

DNR investigating sick, dying songbirds in Indiana counties
NEWS
by: FOX59 Web
Posted: Jun 22, 2021 / 03:28 PM EDT / Updated: Jun 22, 2021 / 03:31 PM EDT
AP120324155775-e1624388613275.jpg

A male American Robin perches itself on a blooming maple tree in Beverly Hills, Mich., Saturday, March 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

MONROE COUNTY, Ind.–Indiana Department of Natural Resources is investigating after reports of sick and dying songbirds in five counties.

It said the five counties are Monroe, Clark, Jefferson, LaGrange, and Lake.

“Several species are being affected,” said Allisyn-Marie Gillet, DNR ornithologist, “including blue jay, American robin, common grackle, Northern cardinal, European starling, and a few others.”

The affected songbirds showed neurological signs of illness as well as eye swelling and crusty discharge, according to DNR.
DNR said it is working with the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (IN ADDL) and the USGS National Wildlife Health Center to determine the birds’ cause of death.

Several samples have already been sent to IN ADDL, and Gillet said that all bird samples submitted have tested negative for avian influenza and West Nile virus with results pending.

The following recommendations are good practice for anyone who experiences sick or dead wild birds on their property:
• Use the DNR sick/dead wildlife reporting tool at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife to alert DNR staff.
• Stop feeding birds until the mortality event has concluded.
• Clean feeders and baths with a 10% bleach solution.
• Avoid handling birds. If you need to handle birds, wear disposable gloves.
• When removing dead birds, wear disposable gloves and place birds and gloves in a sealable plastic bag to dispose with household trash.
• Keep pets away from sick or dead birds as a precaution.

Additional information will be shared when final diagnostic results are received.
To view all DNR news releases, please see dnr.IN.gov.
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
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Updated: Jun 25, 2021 / 04:51 PM EST

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has received at least a dozen reports of sick or dead songbirds every week, and at least 100 in the last month.

On Friday, Natural Resources recommended Hoosiers remove bird feeders statewide.

On Friday, the state said sick or dying songbirds have now been found in 15 counties. The first reports of songbird deaths came from Washington, D.C., in early June before reports started coming in from the Midwest and at least five Indiana counties: Monroe, Clark, Jefferson, LaGrange and Lake.

Sick or dying songbirds have now been found in Indianapolis and Marion County, and the Indiana counties are Clark, Delaware, Hamilton, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, LaGrange, Lake, Marion, Newton, St. Joseph, Union, Washington and Whitley.

“I’ve never seen them exhibit the gooey eyes and crustiness in addition to the neurological symptoms,” said Natural Resources ornithologist Allisyn Gillet.

The department says it’s ruled out the avian influenza and West Nile virus as the cause.

“The fact that it’s happening kind of, in pretty different parts of the country, means that there’s probably something more complex going on,” said Daniel Becker, Indiana University postdoctoral researcher.

Becker says it’s a unique situation because the migration season doesn’t begin until the fall.

“We probably won’t see your migration occurring again until September, October,” said Becker. “Migration might not be playing a huge role in the spread of this disease, but depending on how long the epidemic goes on for, you might see a role for migration and spreading it more.”

Gillet emphasized the value of songbirds and noted that it’s important to take this seriously.

“Birds in general have been in decline. There was a recent three billion birds lost report since the 1970s,” said Gillet. “It’s just like another threat that they have to face, they’ve been facing threats for decades now.”

The Department of Natural Resources lists these recommendations for anyone who experiences sick or dead wild birds on their property:

• Use the Natural Resources’ sick/dead wildlife reporting tool at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife to alert Natural Resources staff.
• Stop feeding birds until the mortality event has concluded.
• Clean feeders and baths with a 10% bleach solution.
• Avoid handling birds. If you need to handle birds, wear disposable gloves.
• When removing dead birds, wear disposable gloves and place birds and gloves in a sealable plastic bag to dispose with household trash.
• Keep pets away from sick or dead birds as a precaution.

www.wishtv.com

Indiana calls on removal of all bird feeders; sick or dead birds now in 15 counties

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has received at least a dozen reports of sick or dead songbirds every week, and at least 100 in the last month. On Friday, Natural Resources recommended Hoosiers remove bird feeders statewide. The state on Friday also said sick or...
www.wishtv.com www.wishtv.com
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Most bird feeders are nasty, people don't know they need to clean them at least once a week, more frequently if they have a lot of birds at their feeders. What insects do these birds have in common that they feed upon, how are those insect colonies doing?
 
Tarryn

Tarryn

Senior Member
This is also happening in areas of KY.

Ky. Fish & Wildlife receives hundreds of reports about mystery illness affecting birds

KENTUCKY (WKYT) - An unknown illness is causing many birds to die or, develop other issues, and it’s impacting much of Kentucky.

According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, several states are involved in this unknown illness impacting birds and, in Kentucky, it appears to be worse in northern and central regions.

Since opening their submission portal last Friday, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife has received roughly 700 reports across the state.

PREVIOUS: Fish and Wildlife encouraging Kentuckians to report sick, dead birds
According to Dr. Christine Casey, a wildlife veterinarian with the department, not all of those reports will come back with a positive test for the unknown illness, but they have been sorting through the reports to get a better understand of where hot spots are in the state.

At this time, it appears to be affecting bluejays, common grackles and European starlings most frequently, but there have been a handful of reports in other species as well.

When looking out for birds affected by this unknown illness, Dr. Casey says there are some easy symptoms to spot.

“Swelling kind of poofy eyes, discharge, ultimately when they’re getting into rehabbers, they’re pretty much blind, their eyes have crusted over at that point and then there’s also this other component which is a neurological problem,” Dr. Casey said.

Dr. Casey says it will likely still be some time before results come back from the national lab, but they are continuing to urge people to submit reports to their website if you suspect a bird to have or have died from the illness.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife says people with bird feeders should wash them once to twice a week with a 10% bleach solution to keep them clean of any possible contagion.

At this time, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife says poultry and other household birds haven’t been impacted by this bird illness, but they continue to urge people to submit reports to their website.
 
P

Pinecone

Has No Life - Lives on TB
BIrd feeders spread disease because a larger number of birds congregate there than would normally in nature. Yes, some feeders are nasty. Bird food could be part of the equation, but I think the crusty and swelling eyes points to a disease vector, and like flu and colds in humans, may be spread by surface contact and closes proximity.

Might be a good idea to pull bird baths, too.

Is/was it unusually humid or wet there, then warm? Could be a fungal infection, too.


The deaths could also be a combination of things, like pesticide poisoning and some type of bacterial/viral/fungal infection. The combination may prove fatal, where just one problem in itself is weakening, but not fatal.

I hope they find out soon. Years ago a study showed that bird feeders were important in keeping songbird species up as their natural habitat was turned into homes and agricultural fields, especially since windrows have gone the way of the dodo bird.
 
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Freeholder

Freeholder

This too shall pass.
packyderms_wife said:
How many of these birds ate cicadias prior to dying? I know there was a notice in one of my insect ID groups on facespy telling people to NOT spray the cicadias because doing so could kill off wildlife that eat the bugs.
Click to expand...

I've hardly heard any cicadas here (Kentucky), and we were supposed to be one of the heavily affected areas. I've been wondering what happened to them, actually.

Kathleen
 
West

West

Senior
In the OP and one of the post above it says that the European starling is one of the effected species, well it's probably the SOB that infected the native birds. Their disgusting and are a invasive species.
Hope the European Starlings and English Sparrows all die!

Every person who feeds the birds, should also be required to atleast own a pellet rifle and cull a few European/English flying rats every year!

:D
 
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packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
West said:
In the OP and one of the post above it says that the European starling is one of the effected species, well it's probably the SOB that infected the native birds. Their disgusting and are a invasive species.
Hope the European Starlings and English Sparrows all die!

Every person who feeds the birds, should also be required to atleast own a pellet rifle and cull a few European/English flying rats every year!

:D
Click to expand...

I thought they were protected? We called them spatzies growing up.
 
TerriHaute

TerriHaute

Hoosier Gardener
West said:
Every person who feeds the birds, should also be required to at least own a pellet rifle and cull a few European/English flying rats every year!

:D
Click to expand...
Got it covered. We keep a Red Ryder BB gun handy just for that purpose. The fricking English sparrows killed the first hatch of bluebirds in one of the nest boxes because they wanted to take over the nesting spot. We took care of THAT problem and now the second hatch of bluebirds is ready to fledge any day. I faithfully clean out the bluebird houses (we have several) when the sparrows start building nests or laying eggs in them.

I haven't noticed any sick birds here. I am keeping the feeders empty just in case, except the hummingbird feeder which I refill every few days. My county isn't on the list of those affected so maybe we'll be OK. We have the usual visitors nesting on our property this year: robins, bluebirds, orioles, goldfinches, wrens, chickadees, hummingbirds, and cardinals.
 
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West

West

Senior
TerriHaute said:
Got it covered. We keep a Red Ryder BB gun handy just for that purpose. The fricking English sparrows killed the first hatch of bluebirds in one of the nest boxes because they wanted to take over the nesting spot. We took care of THAT problem and now the second hatch of bluebirds is ready to fledge any day. I faithfully clean out the bluebird houses (we have several) when the sparrows start building nests or laying eggs in them.

I haven't noticed any sick birds here. I am keeping the feeders empty just in case, except the hummingbird feeder which I refill every few days. My county isn't on the list of those affected so maybe we'll be OK. We have the usual visitors nesting on our property this year: robins, bluebirds, orioles, goldfinches, wrens, chickadees, hummingbirds, and cardinals.
Click to expand...

Right on! Birders and people who feed the birds need to be educated! I'm simply amazed at the ignorance of many bird feeders.
 
naegling62

naegling62

Veteran Member
Remember if you will, about that odd case of the lady air passenger from China caught at customs with a suit case full of dead birds back in the early part of 2020.

What if there were more and she was just one that got caught?
 
Ractivist

Ractivist

Pride comes before the fall.....Pride month ended.
Bill gates and the newer more powerful dimming, more chems in the air.....have heard little about the program passed by Congress...........
 
DazedandConfused

DazedandConfused

Veteran Member
I've noticed there seems to be less birds around this year. But the ones I do see are health and normal acting.
The Mockingbird family moved back in as they have for the last couple of years. They build a nest in a cedar tree next to my drive and then spend all summer attacking the mirrors on our cars. LOL
 
Bubble Head

Bubble Head

Has No Life - Lives on TB
We are virtually without song birds. No hummers although I think a few might be around. My guess for this area is the extreme cold Texas suffered last winter. Most of our song birds and all Hummers from this area head to Texas for winter. Cold killed them off. Hummers would be especially susceptible to this since they need to feed constantly.
 
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Limner

Limner

Deceased
packyderms_wife said:
How many of these birds ate cicadias prior to dying? I know there was a notice in one of my insect ID groups on facespy telling people to NOT spray the cicadias because doing so could kill off wildlife that eat the bugs.
Click to expand...
There is a fungus attacking some populations of cicadas. They're calling it a zombie virus. But I don't know if something like that would jump species.
 
EMICT

EMICT

Veteran Member
Any vet checking them for Covid or spike proteins? </snarc>

(jeeez-‘bout pulled a Dennis. My phone auto corrected snarc to snatch and I about missed it)
 
D

Disciple

Veteran Member
Strange. I have found 5 dead birds around my place the last few days. Just 2 hours ago caught my Beagle chewing up one that apparently died in the yard. I concur that it may be a chemtrail issue.
 
P

Pinecone

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Disciple said:
Strange. I have found 5 dead birds around my place the last few days. Just 2 hours ago caught my Beagle chewing up one that apparently died in the yard. I concur that it may be a chemtrail issue.
Click to expand...
What did the birds look like? Any signs of disease or emaciation? Crusty eyes or mouth? Growths anywhere? Or did they look normal, just dead. Seen any birds acting abnormally? Thanks in advance.
 
IceWave

IceWave

Veteran Member
Looks like it's possibly spreading into Ohio.
One of my old high school friends mentioned this and provided a link to the ODNR asking for info about any diseased birds found.

Bird Disease Reporting

Please contact the nearest wildlife rehabilitator about sick birds, and report diseased/dead birds online to help biologists track the disease.
ohiodnr.gov ohiodnr.gov
Recently, it has been observed that songbirds in Ohio are being affected by a disease. The primary species affected at this time are blue jays, common grackles, European starlings, American robins, and house sparrows. Ohio counties experiencing the bulk of the outbreak so far include Brown, Butler, Clark, Clermont, Delaware, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, and Warren counties.
Click to expand...
 
BUBBAHOTEPT

BUBBAHOTEPT

Veteran Member
I’m sure President Bi-den will blame Climate Change like he did on the collapse in Florida; or at least, Racism… :kaid:
 
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