Longform Stories from March 2025 Newsletter
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Bird Flu / Avian Influenza
By Ray K., Past President
Audubon of Martin County
You're likely hearing the words Avian Influenza (more commonly called bird flu) in the news these days, and for good reason. You usually hear about bird flu when there’s an outbreak affecting large numbers of birds or other animals.
This is concerning because it increases the risk of human infection, can affect wildlife and can reduce the food supply. Like the versions of flu that people usually get, bird flu can make you severely ill. The virus is generally classified into two categories:
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low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) with little or no symptoms;
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high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) with severe symptoms and high mortality rates.
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While bird flu is not readily transferred to humans, recent data has found a jump to a variety of wild and domestic mammals including dairy cows, eastern gray squirrels, house & deer mice, red foxes, bottlenose dolphins, and harbor seals to name a few, with the highest occurrence in domestic cats.
Migratory wild birds, especially waterfowl and shorebirds, are the predominant carriers and transferors of bird flu. Raptors are especially sensitive to the disease.
Domestic birds (poultry) are highly susceptible to the virus, namely egg laying hens. This has led to devastating consequences for the chickens as well as the farmers. The general practice when an infected hen is discovered is to cull the entire population in order to halt the virus from spreading further. This has resulted in the slaughter of millions of birds and skyrocketing egg prices due to the dramatically reduced supply of egg laying hens.
The rapid onset of symptoms and regular testing make it highly unlikely that infected birds or eggs would enter the food supply. It's worth noting, however, that avian flu is not a food-bourne illness, so properly cooked poultry poses no risk to humans. Broiler poultry seems to be somewhat more resistant to the virus with reports of infections of these flocks far lower than their egg laying cousins.
According to research gathered by Cornell Labs, there is currently a low risk of an outbreak among wild songbirds, and no official recommendation to take down feeders unless you also keep domestic poultry, this according to the National Wildlife Disease Program.
A strong, multi-year surveillance program conducted by the USDA's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service routinely samples wild birds for the presence of avian influenza.
Accordingly, it has been determined that songbirds are much less likely than waterfowl to contract avian influenza and less likely to shed large amounts of virus, meaning they do not transmit the disease easily.
Bird baths should be maintained every couple of days as these become reliable sources of fresh drinking water for our avian friends (and high jumping squirrels). It would be wise for backyard birders to sanitize their feeders with a mild bleach & water solution, allowing them to dry thoroughly prior to refilling. Wet moldy seed is also harmful to birds. Of course, any state directives regarding removal of feeders in order to stem outbreaks should be adhered too. Your feathered friends will find them again quickly once they are returned to service. Doing your part will ensure healthy populations and continued enjoyment!
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Longform Stories from July 2024 Newsletter
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You Have to Look Up!
Swallow-tailed Kites at Possum Long Nature Center
By Mary W. O., Docent Coordinator
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​Soaring high above us, the Swallow-tailed Kites returned to Possum Long this spring. While these incredible fliers normally nest in large colonies in tall pines and cypress trees across Florida, here at Possum Long we have solitary nesters who have wandered onto our oasis for the past several years keeping their nest well-hidden.
​They winter in South America and nest in the southeastern United States, returning to South America in the late summer, early fall according to Audubon Center for Birds of Prey author Danielle Vincent. https://cbop.audubon.org/news/look-swallow-tailed-kites-are-returning-florida-after-spending-winter-south-america
As described to her article, “These adept and acrobatic fliers were listed as a vulnerable species in 2019 and have been at risk of habitat loss, with a range that was diminished from 21 states to just seven over the course of four decades. A majority of habitat loss for Swallow-tailed Kites has been the result of timber harvesting and agriculture. They appear to be rebounding, but they have not yet regained their former range.”
At Possum Long we are treated to the great flying acrobatics of this bird of prey.
You first notice the long, forked tail on the soaring white bird with black wings. When you hear their distinctive call make sure you look up!
This year we observed three to four birds soaring together but we know of only one nest. In recent weeks a juvenile was spotted resting in a pine tree calling out and then taking to the air preparing for the journey south.
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Conservation Corner: The Loxa-Lucie Headwaters Initiative
By Jim Howe
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The Loxa-Lucie Headwaters Initiative's mission is to conserve, protect and restore water resources in the Loxahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers and the natural systems in Martin County, with a primary focus in the Atlantic Ridge Ecosystem.
It will protect one of the largest patches of natural land left on this area.
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By conserving important scrub, pine flatwoods, marshes, and water quality on the St. Lucie River's South Fork's floodplain, as well as the Wild and Historic Loxahatchee River basins, the public will have the opportunity to enjoy the original landscape of this fast-growing area.
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The acquisition and restoration of this land will allow improved hydrology, raising the water table and protecting our invaluable local watersheds. Precise boundaries can be seen on-line https://loxalucieheadwaters.org/maps/
Audubon of Martin County supports this project and we hope you will too!
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