Something ’s going incorrect with robins , cardinal grosbeak , blue jay , European starlings and similar birds in several U.S. states . Hundreds of adults and fledglings have died mysteriously since late saltation . regrettably , wildlife authorities are n’t sure why .
Affected birds may have swollen , ill-humoured eye . They may also exhibit neurological symptoms like trembling and an inability to balance themselves .
According to aninteragency statementfrom the U.S. Geological Survey and better half organizations , people begin report the trouble in tardy May . Since then , residents in Delaware , Indiana , Kentucky , Maryland , New Jersey , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Virginia , West Virginia , and Washington D.C. have discovered sick and dead birds .
A recentSmithsonian Magazinereportsuggests affected birdie are also showing up in Tennessee and Florida .
Possible Causes of Bird Deaths
research worker have test specimens for various parasites , avian flu and West Nile virus . They ’ve also looked for Newcastle disease and other paramyxovirus , herpesviruses and poxvirus . Ditto for bacterial pathogens like Salmonella and Chlamydia .
So far ? They ’ve come up empty .
“ transmitting electron microscopy and additional symptomatic tests , including microbiology , virology , parasitology and toxicology are on-going , ” notes Kate Slankard . She is an avian life scientist with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife .
Susan Brackney
“ The labs , veterinarians and shuttle biologist involved are still do work hard on this to understand the trouble , ” Slankard adds .
A Cicada Connection?
Therecouldbe a connexion to the late cicada bust that birds in parts of the U.S. recently enjoy . “ Some multitude have speculated that it might be linked to that fungus — the so - called zombie fungus , ” says Dr. Keith Clay .
Clay is a prof and chairman of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Tulane University .
“ It infects some cicada , ” he continues . “ Neurological and behavioural [ symptoms ] like difficulty maintaining Libra would all be uniform with the chemistry that this fungus produce inside the cicadas . ”
Susan Brackney
Read more : Learn more about Brood X , a once - in-17 - years louse event !
Fledgling Bird Deaths
Dawn Hewitt is editor program ofBird Watcher ’s DigestandWatching Backyard Birds . She conceive that both pesticidesandcicadas could represent a character .
“ My own speculation is that the cicala have been poisoned by pesticide , ” she says . “ They ’re soft and risque when they egress . I think that parent birds stuff toxic cicadas down their babies ’ throat .
“ And that ’s why entrant were often the bird … found to be dying . ”
Hewitt creditsnaturalist Julie Zickefoosewith originally suggesting the link between cicadas and bird deaths . She particularly remark the fledgling angle .
“ We do n’t have Brood X here in Marietta , [ Ohio ] . But the west side of Columbus does , ” Hewitt says . “ People [ in Marietta ] have not reported utter and perish bird . ”
But people populate in other regions of Ohio have reported many bird deaths . Still , correlation is n’t causation . state with Brood X cicadas included :
Unanswered Questions
“ A question I would have is whether these deaths are concentrated in sure species and in sure regions , ” Clay says . “ Another kind of grounds would be if there are dame that are keep to go of similar symptoms even though most of the cicadas have disappeared . ”
While Clay thinks the cicada connectedness is a plausible mind , he add together , “ The main alternating surmise that has to be examine is whether there ’s some kind of bacterial or viral contagion that is killing them . ”
Read more : Keep an middle on your farm ’s resident critters with a wildlife camera .
How You Can Help
“ We are recommending that masses follow the rule of thumb from their state wildlife say-so , ” Hewitt says . “ For instance , Massachusetts lately issued an advisory recommend that masses stop feed birds and take down bird feeders . And that is in spite of the fact that there have been no paper of drained or dying birds regain in Massachusetts .
“ They ’re trying to pre - empt the problem . ”
If you ’re in one of the affected by hoot deaths and you ’ve been feeding birds this summer , you should stop . Take down affluent , clean well and lay in until the danger for shuttlecock has fade . Additionally , check with your state ’s conservation office , which should have promulgation and recommendations regarding wench dice - offs where you live .
And if you happen to find a dead bird ? Fit a plastic bag over your hand , pick up the animal , then turn the bag inside - out to contain the bird . ( For added protection , also wear disposable baseball mitt when collecting the bird . )
Next , report your uncovering to your state ’s Department of Natural Resources or Wildlife Conservation Office . The government agency might require to test your specimen . And , if not , they can recommend methods for its safe disposition .
