Songbird deaths in Indiana, other states remain a mystery

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Investigators still don’t know what’s killing songbirds around Indiana and other states – and, experts say, they may never find out. Researchers started receiving reports of sick songbirds in June. While at first the birds were just found in a handful of counties, reports of the illness quickly spread to more than 70 counties in Indiana and in nearby states. In the last months, Hoosier birders and bird enthusiasts took down their bird feeders and brought in their bird baths in hopes of stemming the spread of the illness. In August, the state Department of Natural Resources announced that people could bring their feeders back except for in 13 counties, which include Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks and Johnson counties. IndyStar spoke with State Ornithologist Allisyn Gillet about what investigators know so far, and what more they’re doing to understand about why songbirds are dying. While the investigation is moving forward, she said it may still be some time before experts know what’s causing the illness. If at all. ‘œWe still don’t have any conclusive results regarding the cause of this mortality and morbidity event, mainly because the tests are taking a long time,’� Gillet said. ‘œWe might never really actually get to a conclusive cause.’� Here’s what you need to know about the illness killing songbirds in Indiana. The affected birds are showing neurological signs of illness. This includes tremors and stumbling, as well as weakness and lethargy. Many of the birds are also exhibiting swelling and crusty discharge around their eyes. The illness appears to be primarily affecting songbirds. Commonly affected species include: blue jays, American robins, common grackles, Northern cardinals, starlings, and brown-headed cowbirds. About 500 sick birds have been found in Indiana, Gillet said, but the amount of affected birds across the country numbers in the thousands. Birds with these symptoms have been found in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The DNR has narrowed down priority pockets of this songbird illness to 13 counties in Indiana, which include: Allen, Carroll, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Lake, Marion, Monroe, Porter, St. Joseph, Tippecanoe and Whitley. Researchers were able to isolate these priority areas after a few months, Gillet said, because they noticed the majority of reported sick birds were coming from these counties, which happen to center around urban areas. Gillet thinks the concentration around urban areas might be in part because of a sampling bias – there are just more people to report sick birds in these areas – but also because there may just be more songbirds in this area. The types of birds being found sick – such as robins, common grackles and European starlings – are species that frequent urban environments. In these areas, there’s also likely a higher number of people feeding birds at bird feeders, which could spread the illness if it is a disease, she said. While the dying and sick birds are showing the same symptoms, the symptoms don’t offer a clean explanation as to what is causing the sickness. It’s like visiting a doctor for a runny nose, Gillet said: It could be caused by a cold, but it could also be from the flu or allergies. And when it comes to the neurological symptoms shown by these songbirds, the list of possible causes is long. This means investigators are testing for a wide range of diseases, parasites, pathogens and exposures. It’s also possible that the illness is being caused by a combination of factors rather than one cause, Gillet said, which adds a layer of complexity to the process.