Mass bird die-off observed off Florida Coast, sick birds found bleeding from the mouth
by: Vicki Batts
NaturalNews.com
Thursday, May 25, 2017
From the coast of Amelia Island to the southern shores of Ponte Vedra Beach, the outlook for Floridian birds is pretty grim. Pelicans, ospreys, gulls and anhingas are just some of the beautiful feathered creatures that are being affected by a massive die-off, according to a group of marine life researchers.
Hailing from the Florida Sea Grant Extension of Northeast Florida, which is part of the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Program, the team says that the sick birds appear to be “disoriented” and often find themselves far away from their natural habitats — and their feathers are dry, brittle and seem to lack their natural waterproofing. Sometimes, the birds can even be seen bleeding from their beaks — a heartbreaking sight, for sure.
What is causing the plight of these marine birds is not known, but some believe it may be related to what’s described as a “rainbow sheen” sitting atop the waves at the beach of Little Talbot. Many of the sick birds seem to be found around the mouth of the St. Johns River, though sick pelicans have been reported around the lake in the Guana Wildlife Management locale. The Sea Grant Extension team requests that if you see dead birds, do not touch them under any circumstances and make a report to the Florida Fish and Wildlife wild bird mortality database.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is sending out veterinarians to collect the deceased birds’ remains for analysis, in the hopes of finding the cause of this disturbing plague of death.
Pelicans have been dying around the Riviera Bay and Coffee Pot Bayou since at least January, according to a report by the Tampa Bay Times. In mid-January, Seaside Seabird Sanctuary’s Eddie Gayton told the Times they were caring for 14 sickened pelicans, and another 22 had passed away. According to Gayton, it appeared that the birds had been poisoned by something, though it was unclear what. Barbara Walker of the Clearwater Audubon Society revealed that other wildlife rehab facilities had been taking in sick birds as well.
She commented, “Nobody has a total. We don’t have a good protocol here (for dealing with sick birds). And these birds are all being treated different at different facilities.”
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