Local residents are continuing to report finding a higher-than-normal number of sick or deceased birds in the area, and Virginia wildlife officials are still working on finding an answer.
In May, residents in Alexandria and beyond started noticing what seemed to be an unusual number of sick and dead birds in the region, many of whom appeared to have eye infections.
Multiple veterinarians and local and state wildlife officials began investigating, but a definitive answer remains elusive. In the meantime, they are encouraging residents to empty bird feeders (there are plenty of other food sources for birds, including cicadas, right now). Bird feeders should be washed with a 10 percent bleach solution and dried.
The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria has launched a web page with information for residents. The Animal Services team is working with a regional biologist with the Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources, and has coordinated testing through that department.
In a Facebook post this week, the Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources wrote:
In late May, wildlife managers in Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia began receiving reports of sick and dying birds with eye swelling and crusty discharge, as well as neurological signs. No definitive cause of death is identified at this time.
The District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, and National Park Service are continuing to work with diagnostic laboratories to investigate the cause of mortality. Those laboratories include the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, the University of Georgia Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, and the University of Pennsylvania Wildlife Futures Program.
Birds congregating at feeders and baths can transmit disease to one another. Therefore, the state and District agencies recommend that the public in the outbreak area:
• Cease feeding birds until this wildlife mortality event has concluded;
• Clean feeders and bird baths with a 10% bleach solution;
• Avoid handling birds, but wear disposable gloves if handling is necessary; and
• Keep pets away from sick or dead birds as a standard precaution.
If you encounter sick or dead birds in Virginia, please submit an event report at dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/diseases/bird-mortality-reporting-form. If you must remove dead birds, place them in a sealable plastic bag to dispose with household trash. Additional information will be shared as diagnostic results are received.