“It’s definitely concerning in terms of large numbers and how long this event may last. “This is a mortality event that is affecting birds on sort of a large scale, not just our state,” said Jordan Terrell, an environmental scientist with DNREC. NPS This bird was found in the Washington DC areas suffering from the mysterious illness There has also been some evidence of finches being affected. The most-affected species appear to be familiar back-yard birds: common grackles, blue jays, European starlings and American robins, and young birds appear to be especially susceptible. The mysterious condition results in eye-swelling and a crusty discharge, as well as neurological symptoms including erratic flight and stumbling, officials said.
It has been about two months since Delaware’s wildlife officials received the first calls from people saying they had found a surprising number of sick or dying birds around their homes, but scientists still haven’t identified the cause of a mysterious condition that appears responsible for the outbreak in Delaware and other mid-Atlantic and midwestern states.īy mid-July, officials at the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control had ruled out some possible causes, including West Nile Virus and Avian Influenza, but were still searching for clues about what has killed some 75 birds in the First State and many more in states including Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Since May, wildlife officials and scientists along the East Coast and Midwest have been tracking a surprising number of sick or dying birds – but remain baffled by the cause.ĭelaware has seen some cases reported locally and this week contributor Jon Hurdle takes a closer look at what we know and don’t know about this puzzling illness.
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