Indiana Songbird Deaths

[rekees4300]

rekees - the link is no longer effective. Have they made a determination as to the cause yet??

"DNR staff have collected samples and submitted them to the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. Final laboratory diagnostic results are pending – the cause or transmission is currently unknown and still under investigation."

Try this link.

https://www.in.gov/dnr/fish-and-wildlife/files/dnr-songbird-deaths.mp3

 

[ruffdog]

I saw where the UW Madison received dead birds so they can try to determine the cause too.

 

[kenmbz]

Looks like this is happening around here to :-( hope they find the cause soon, have seen less birds this year,

 

[MoKelly]

This is concerning. So far, we seem to be ok in Missouri - but unless the issue is identified who knows.

MoKelly

 

[ruffdog]

Is it tied to covid...who knows....I know they are vaccinating the animals at the area zoos now.

 

[MoKelly]

Is it tied to covid...who knows....I know they are vaccinating the animals at the area zoos now.

Seriously?

Are we supposed to vaccinate our dog and cat?

I’ve not heard a word about that subject.

MoKelly

 

[ponytug]

Yes, both cats and dogs can get it. Cats more than dogs, but the exact extent is being debated, and as is the means of transmission (aerosol vs. contact (petting/licking)).

Right now the best thing you can do for them is get yourself vaccinated as there aren't approved vaccines for animals yet. With the global need and demand for vaccines there won't be any vaccines for pets any time soon.

Related story: February of 2020, my wife's whole office got really sick after a big meeting. She was sicker than a dog for a week (I have known her for decades and she never has gotten a cold). She was dragging for six weeks. I lost my sense of taste. At the time, in our area, you needed a China contact to get tested, and neither one of us had any contact. I didn't get my sense of taste back for five or six months. Morning coffee or tea loses a lot when you can't taste it. I have a friend who seventeen months later still has gotten her sense of taste back.

At the tail end of it, one of our cats got terribly sick, coughing, sneezing wheezing, but she was dead in three days. Without testing there is no way to know for sure.

Get vaccinated, and get your friends vaccinated; you really don't want to get any of these strains.

All the best,

Peter

 

[Oaktree]

Probably unrelated, but last year we had tons of Oriels, probably 10-12 pairs. This year we only had one or two pairs. Overall our bird population is way off this year. Less of every type including Gold Finches, Hummingbirds, Oriels, Blue Birds, Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Cardinals, you name it and there are less of them.

Kevin

Maybe some sort of natural cycle? Not as many hummingbirds here this year, but everything else seems normal or maybe a little higher. A few years ago we went thru a couple years where the population seemed down though.
I do wish the bat population would recover, haven't had any around for a good 10 years now.

 

[oosik]

Only two pair of humming birds at my feeder this year - normal = 6 or 8 pair. DEFINITE decline in the Red Wing Blackbird population on my lake this year.

 

[zzvyb6]

You know this how?

Read the packages. Don't you remember the dog food deaths from plastic and antifreeze added to ramp up the tested "protein" content? Now look at the bird seed products being sold at TSC, Costco and Rural King. "Packaged Locally from Various Worldwide Sources". Good enough evidence last year for me...