Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
Putting cows on the front page since 1885.
The Songbird Mortality Event – Nestling and fledgling songbirds – mainly blue jays (shown above), starlings, and common grackles, but also robins and cardinals – have been found with ocular and neurologic issues, and in some cases these birds have been found dead in large numbers. Cases have been reported from TN, KY, VA, WV, MD, DE, IN, OH, FL, and recently from southeast PA (Nottingham, in Chester County).
A mysterious disease is causing the deaths of songbirds in Southeast Pennsylvania and parts of the United States including Washington D.C., and until officials can determine what is causing it, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is recommending people remove bird feeders and baths from their property.
According to the game commission, the unknown condition has been reported in 27 Pennsylvania counties. Species affected so far are blue jays, European starling, common grackle, American robin, Northern cardinal, house finch, house sparrow, Eastern bluebird, red-bellied woodpecker, Carolina chickadee, and Carolina wren as species that have been observed to be sick.
The mystery illness has been reported in both adult and young birds with the most common symptoms being discharge and/or crusting around the eyes, eye lesions, and/or neurologic signs such as falling over or head tremors.
John Carter, president of the Juniata Valley Audubon Society, said although it is yet unknown what the disease is or how it spreads, it makes sense to remove situations where birds congregate, such as bird feeders and baths to reduce the chance of spreading the disease.
"One thing they are really stressing is pulling birdfeeders down until the wildlife experts can do some testing on these birds to really see what is causing it and why they are dying," he said.
Carter said although hummingbirds have yet to be observed with the illness, officials recommend they be removed also.
"It hasn't been impacting hummingbirds, but they still suggest pulling down the hummingbird feeders right now because other birds will use hummingbird nectar," he said.
Carter said they do not yet know how the disease is spread among the birds, so the removal of feeders is a precaution, and the unknown nature of the illness, and how far it may reach is concerning.
"It is scary," he said.
Another concern, according to Carter, is not yet knowing if the disease can be spread to other species and urges people to use caution if they come across a sick bird.
"Don't pick them up with you bare hands, use gloves," he said. "Try not to let pets or other animals around it just out of precaution."
Although the nearest reports of sick birds are in the southeast part of the state, Carter said it has been spreading quickly so taking precautions is the best defense right now.
"We are seeing it has come up from the other states pretty quickly so if it is hitting Pennsylvania then the infection could infect other birds across the state," he said. "I imagine over the next week or so we might see some more cases. It's possible it could spread quickly."
Carter said as someone who enjoys watching birds, the mystery illness is concerning.
"Just seeing the gravity of it and the impact on several states it's definitely concerning," he said. "Hopefully, we can take action with following the game commission's recommendation of pulling our feeders down to help reduce any spread. Anytime you see events like this you get concerned, and you want to take all the precautions you can to help protect our birds on any level we can."
Carter said with climate change, birds are already in decline and if the disease continues to spread it could hurt their population for growth.
"It will be interesting to see what the researchers find out as far as the impact of this disease," he said.
The Wildlife Futures Program is testing the birds for toxins, parasites, bacterial diseases, and viral infections. So far, the test results have been inconclusive.
Along with removing feeders and baths, the game commission also recommends cleaning feeders and baths with a 10 percent bleach solution. The commission said if it's necessary to handle a dead bird, wear disposable gloves and dispose of them in a sealable plastic bag and discard in the trash, and keep pets away from sick or dead birds.
The public is encouraged to report any sightings of birds exhibiting any symptoms of the illness to www.vet.upenn.edu/research/centers-laboratories/research-initiatives/wildlife-futures-program.
Additional information on the disease as it becomes available will be posted at www.vet.upenn.edu/about/news-room.
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