When Brian Evans heard about young birds dying at a high rate this spring, he dismissed it. The bird ecologist at the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center in Washington, D.C., knew most hatchlings don’t survive to their first year, he tells Natasha Daly of National Geographic.
However, Evans took notice when a neighbor told him about a sick bird she had seen. It looked like it was blind, shaking and nonresponsive. Something clicked when he heard her description.
Evans was correct. What his neighbor witnessed was the early days of a mysterious disease that has been killing songbirds in several mid-Atlantic states. Now, the illness is spreading to other regions. Scientists in 11 states and Washington, D.C., are trying to determine what is killing thousands of young blue jays, grackles, starlings and robins, as well as other birds.
Two weeks ago, the mysterious disease was discovered in Kentucky. On July 15, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife asked residents to peremptorily take down bird feeders and birdbaths, though the illness is not believed to be in New England yet, reports WWLP Digital First.
Little is known about the disease at this stage. Scientists are calling it a “mortality event,” when animals die in a short period of time from what appears to be the same cause. Symptoms are similar to Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a bacterial infection that sickened house finches with crusty and swollen eyes in the 1990s. However, that illness did not include a neurological component, Evans writes in a report first posted June 29 and updated July 12.
“We’re seeing birds exhibit distressing symptoms, including problems with their eyes and possibly their nervous systems,” he writes. “Many birds have been found blind and/or with crusty eyes. They often appear on the ground, confused, with shaky heads, and are sometimes lethargic or unresponsive.”
In addition to Washington, D.C., dead birds with similar symptoms have been discovered in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
Researchers are baffled by the mystery illness. So far, they have ruled out a number of possibilities, including salmonella, chlamydia, avian influenza, West Nile virus, various herpes viruses and other diseases.
Scientists are even investigating if this spring’s eruption of 17-year cicadas is related. The insects are known to carry a pathogenic fungus, though no connection has been established with the bird disease, Allysin Gillet, an ornithologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, tells Bente Bouthier of Indiana Public Media.
“No direct link has been made between those two,” she says. “We’re also seeing that the regions that are seeing more reports are a bit outside the range of that Brood X Cicada.”
In the meantime, Evans is reaching out to the public for their help. People who find an injured, sick or dead bird are asked to complete a brief online questionnaire for the Smithsonians National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. This data could be crucial in finding a cause.
“The information you submit—date, location, bird age, species (if you know it), and a photo—will help us understand the scope of this event,” Evans says.
Little is known about the disease at this stage. The term “mortality event” used by scientists to describe the sudden deaths of animals that seem to have the same cause The disease’s symptoms are comparable to those of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, a bacterial infection that in the 1990s caused crusty, swollen eyes in house finches. However, Evans notes in a report initially published on June 29 and revised on July 12 that the illness did not involve a neurological component.
Evans was correct. What his neighbor saw was the beginning of a strange illness that has been causing songbird deaths in a number of mid-Atlantic states. Now, the illness is spreading to other regions. Scientists in 11 states and Washington, D. C. are attempting to ascertain the cause of the thousands of juvenile blue jay, grackle, starling, and robin deaths, among other bird deaths.
He writes, “We’re seeing distressing symptoms in birds, like issues with their eyes and possibly their nervous systems.” “Many birds have been found blind and/or with crusty eyes. They frequently show up on the ground, disoriented, their heads trembling, and occasionally listless or unresponsive. ”.
Scientists are even investigating if this spring’s eruption of 17-year cicadas is related. The insects are known to carry a pathogenic fungus, though no connection has been established with the bird disease, Allysin Gillet, an ornithologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, tells Bente Bouthier of Indiana Public Media.
Researchers are baffled by the mystery illness. Numerous potential causes have been ruled out thus far, including avian influenza, West Nile virus, salmonella, chlamydia, various herpes viruses, and other illnesses.
Making sure birds have access to reliable food sources, like birdfeeders, may worry a lot of you. We acknowledge this and would like to reassure you that the birds you care about will not be adversely affected by these temporary measures. Luckily, most bird species feed their young with caterpillars and other insects during the summer breeding season, which makes natural food sources easily accessible in the natural world. Furthermore, birds are tenacious and cunning animals that can easily adjust to changes in food sources and find new opportunities when previously available ones disappear. We hope that this problem is found and fixed as soon as possible so that you can start using feeders again. We urge everyone to cooperate and err on the side of caution in the interim to ensure the birds’ safety.
Audubon collaborates with regional conservation organizations to offer advice on what they know and how you can get involved.
If you are collecting dead birds, please use disposable gloves. After use, place them in a sealed plastic bag. The same safety measures should be taken if you are throwing away a dead bird in your home trash can.
Making sure birds have access to dependable food sources, like bird feeders, may worry a lot of you. We acknowledge this and would like to reassure you that the birds you care about will not be adversely affected by these temporary measures. Thankfully, humans do not have to feed birds in order for them to survive during the summer and fall. Natural food sources are readily available in nature. Furthermore, birds are tenacious and cunning animals that can easily adjust to changes in food sources and find new opportunities when previously available ones disappear.
Even though declining reports in some areas are promising and raise hopes for soon reinstalling birdbaths and feeders, numerous state agencies and the USGS continue to advise against feeding birds. Until further research yields more definitive information about the illness’s cause, Audubon’s recommendations are unchanged from those of the USGS. Precautionary steps include the following, in addition to consulting your state agency for localized recommendations and affected areas:
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