Category Archives: Listserv Posts

Listserv Posts

Re: What a Sighting!

I was a volunteer on Kent Cleggs second Ultralight-Aircraft  flight from near Grace to Bosque del Apache NWR in October 1997 and we had many encounters with GOEA trying to nail the Whooping Cranes and Sandhills. While leading his charges just north of Price, UT a GOEA nailed a Whooper and it spiraled to the ground. Somehow the sharp talons missed its air sacks and thanks to a nice vet in Price the Whooper survived to fly a few days later and made the 800 mile flight. 

From what I could discern, as mentioned already, the cross-fostering with Sandhills didn’t work as the Whoopers didn’t imprint on there own kind.  When the birds flew north on their own, in the spring,  near Montrose, CO, several Whoopers were killed resulting from collisions with high tension electrical wires.

Scott MacButch

Listserv Posts

Keep your eyes open for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza


Hi fellow bird lovers,

 

I thought this probably should be circulated widely to the birding community so folks are aware of what to look for and how to be safe when/if collecting dead birds. If anyone see’s anything suspicious the safest bet is to report it as
soon as possible to the regional IDFG office so staff can handle it. Probably better than having public collecting dead birds but if you do collect, please adhere to the safety guidelines below.

 

Thanks,
Tempe

­­­­­­­­­­____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is on the move and impacting domestic livestock in Virginia and Kentucky.

 

Additional background

Avian influenza (AI) is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, domestic ducks, geese, and guinea fowl) and is carried by free flying waterfowl such as ducks, geese and shorebirds. AI viruses
are classified by a combination of two groups of proteins: hemagglutinin or “H” proteins, of which there are 16 (H1–H16), and neuraminidase or “N” proteins, of which there are 9 (N1–N9). Many different combinations of “H” and “N” proteins are possible. Each
combination is considered a different subtype and can be further broken down into different strains which circulate within flyways/geographic regions. AI viruses are further classified by their pathogenicity (low or high)—the ability of a particular virus
strain to produce disease in domestic poultry.

 

All cases in commercial and backyard flocks will be listed on the APHIS website at

https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/2022-hpai.

 

Practice good biosecurity and all bird owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds and report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to State/Federal officials, either through their state veterinarian or through APHIS’ toll-free number at 1-866-536-7593.
APHIS urges producers to consider bringing birds indoors when possible to further prevent exposures. Additional information on biosecurity for backyard flocks can be found at https://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov.

Currently in Idaho, we are not aware of any significant losses of migratory birds and there have been no documented cases of avian influenza. However, we do need be aware and be on the lookout for dead birds. A very High Pathogenic strain of avian influenza
swept through Europe last year and made the jump via summer breed ground aggregation in Iceland to migratory birds to Newfoundland and down the Atlantic flyway this fall and winter. Cases have since spread westerly and north as birds have migrated north this
spring through the Mississipi and Central flyway. There have been major domestic poultry losses as well as many wild bird losses including wild turkeys in the southeast and multiple species of migratory birds –both waterfowl and non-waterfowl species. Recent
major cases in Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado have involved snow geese.

There has only on case documented in the Pacific Flyway and that was from a bald eagle off Vancouver Island, BC – there have been no other cases and this is speculated at
this point to have originated from some other circumpolar migration that has not yet been identified.

 

This Hi Path strain of avian influenza a very high transmission rate among birds and very high lethality. It does not appear to be easily transmissible to humans BUT it
CAN happen.

 

It seems inevitable that we  will see cases, but when is uncertain.

 

What are we looking for?

∙ Mortality involving raptors, waterfowl and waterbirds (ducks, geese, swans, shorebirds, loons, grebes, coots, egrets, herons, cranes, pelicans),
or avian scavengers (ravens, crows, or gulls) observed with clinical signs consistent with neurological impairment

o Neurological signs may include swimming or walking in circles, moving the head in a “jerky” motion, and holding the neck and
head in an unusual position (more drastic than simply drooping). Neurological signs associated with HPAI infection are not well characterized;. Video and photos are strongly encouraged.

 

Please let Idaho Department of Fish and Game and/or the IDFG Wildlife Health Lab know if you are seeing any:

∙ Mortality events involving ≥5 individuals of free-living wildlife species.

∙ Mortality involving <5 individuals of free-living wildlife if the case includes:

o Federal or State endangered/threatened species, candidate species, species of special management concern

 

Please emphasize strict adherence to PPE requirements as advised below for anyone picking up dead birds if a mortality event is detected.

Birds need to be collected using proper PPE (masks and gloves) and double-bagged. Birds can be kept frozen until shipment to the wildlife lab which should be arranged though
communication with WHL (wildlifelab@…). If directing members of the public to pick-up carcasses, please instruct them on
proper handling procedures. While the current strain of HPAI (H5N1) is considered low risk to people, there are some of us who have job-related or recreational exposure that may put us at a higher risk.  The CDC has Provided the following instruction:

 

“If you must handle wild birds or sick or dead poultry, minimize direct contact by wearing gloves and wash your hands with soap and water after
touching birds. If available, wear respiratory protection such as a medical facemask. Change your clothing before contact with healthy domestic poultry and birds after handling wild birds, and discard the gloves and facemask, and then wash your hands with
soap and water. “

  

Please visit for up-to-date info on HPAI in 2022:

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/distribution-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-north-america-20212022

 

 

***********************

Tempe Regan
(she/her)

Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologist

Idaho Department of Fish and Game

99 US-93

Salmon, ID 83467

Office: 208.756.2271

Mobile: 406.396.4856

 

Listserv Posts

Re: What a Sighting!

I responded to this yesterday, but evidently the reply is out in cyber
space somewhere. I recall Rod recording an HY Whooper being taken by an GOEA
during  its first (and last) fall migration during the first or second year
of the decade+ long project. Because this mortality was so early in the project,
I jumped to the conclusion that predation by GOEA was a common problem
throughout the project.  Thank you Ruth (and Wendy) for setting the record
straight.
 
Tim
 
 
 
Listserv Posts

Re: What a Sighting!

Ruth,

 

I really enjoyed reading this, especially since I saw Whooping Cranes at Grays Lake, Bechler Meadows in Yellowstone, and Red Rocks NWR during the 80s.  I’d like to use it in our April newsletter if that is all right with you.  May I?

 

Thanks,

 

Kit

 

Kit Struthers

Snake River Audubon Society

Idaho Falls, ID

208-529-2028

kit619@…

 

Listserv Posts

VG Swallows


Because I had a VA appointment early this afternoon, I had to get biking early today, even though it was pouring. Plus, a DE Junco showed up in my yard for the first time in days. That definitely whetted my appetite. When I got to Quinn’s
Pond, I found C. Goldeneyes, L. Scaup, and lots of N. Shovelers. But the real treat was at Veterans Pond when I realized there were about a gazillion VG Swallows racing around. I was shocked to see so many. I kept trying to see if there were any other swallows,
but every one that I saw sitting in a tree or racing over the water was clearly a Violet Green. But by the time I got back to Veterans, they were all gone! Just passing through I assume.

Multiple raptors and the usual suspects added up to a (wet) total of 44 species in 12 plus miles. Another great day on the Boise River greenbelt.

Tom McCabe, Boise

 

Listserv Posts

Re: What a Sighting!

Clearly I spoke beyond my knowledge.  I remember that in the first year or two of Rod’s project, a migrating HY whopper was taken by  a GOEA.  Because this happened so early in the project, I guess I thought it was a regular occurrence over the decade+ project.  Thanx for setting the record straight Ruth (& Wendy).

Listserv Posts

Re: What a Sighting!

I was interested in the discussion of eagle predation on cranes and the suggested role of that predation in the ultimate failure of the Grays Lake whooping crane project.  That project was created and run by my late husband, Rod Drewien, long before we met. 

He concluded that the project failed because the number of fledged whooper chicks that survived to breeding age was not adequate.  And, among those that did survive, they showed little interest in pairing with their own species. His hypothesis was that they had imprinted on the sandhills that raised them rather than on their own species.  No one had tried cross-fostering before and  he did not know if imprinting issues would cause a problem.

Rod’s blood pressure would soar when talked about how he could not reduce the mortality of the chicks that did make it to fledging.  I’ll never forget his photo of a recently fledged dead whooper chick that had become entangled in one of the many Refuge barbed wire fences on one of it’s first flights.  That incindent led to removal of a many miles of Refuge barbed wire fences in the pastures  and modifications of their grazing system.     Rod was always emphatic that grazing on the NWR, which many conservationists opposed, was essential to substitute for bison grazing.  Cranes need large amounts of short grass habitat in the marsh system for foraging and evolved with large grazers.  Flipping over cow pies to eat the insects beneath is also an important food source of protein.

But Rod could not overcome the vulnerability of cranes to collisions with wires, be they powerlines or fences. Some apparently learn to avoid them, many die in their first collision.

I contacted Rod’s long-term project assistant Wendy Brown who is now retired from USFWS and asked her if there were any data regarding eagles killing whooping cranes.

Her reply:

“I don’t have the statistics at hand, but I absolutely am certain eagle predation was not a major factor.   I’m pretty sure Rod actually observed a kill by a golden eagle on a young whooper in flight.   Golden eagles were always on the lookout for the unwary sandhill OR whooper.
 
But — power lines were indeed a major factor — the major factor.   But eagle predation, while it may have had some unknown effect on disappearance of chicks, was not.   
 
Because all birds were radioed and carefully tracked, we had a pretty good handle on causes of mortality.”

Cranes evolved with eagles, and Bald Eagles were likely the most common species near their marshes.  But it’s the thin wires that humans string across their flight paths that cause the most mortality.  Wendy and others have published some good articles on how this mortality can be reduced in key sites with various powerline markers.  Those lines can also be deadly to swans and many in eastern Idaho have been marked over the years.

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