Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Initial tests on the Bald Eagle that died April 9th after it was found grounded in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood indicate it was suffering from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), according to the Wisconsin Humane Society.
An influenza strain called EA H5N1 is circulating among domestic and wild birds in North America. Wildlife and agriculture officials have described it as the worst avian flu outbreak in nearly a decade.
The disease is known to kill raptors such as eagles as well as waterfowl, corvids (Blue Jays and crows) and many other classes of birds.
The eagle in Bay View was thought to be one of a pair that constructed a nest this year in the urban neighborhood on Milwaukee's south side.
It was found April 8 unable to fly. Wildlife rehabilitators with the Wisconsin Humane Society collected the bird and provided supportive care at the organization's Milwaukee facility. However the bird was euthanized after its condition deteriorated significantly.
Influenza strains H5 and EA H5N1 have been documented in at least 33 states, according to the National Wildlife Health Center of the U.S. Geological Survey.
At least 23 million birds have died due to the outbreak, mostly through depopulations at poultry farms. The virus has been found in seven poultry flocks in Wisconsin, according to the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
It's much more difficult to determine how many wild birds are affected. But in addition to the Bay View bald eagle, H5N1 has been linked to the deaths of wild birds in Milwaukee County (Canada Goose), Columbia County (Lesser Scaup), Dane County (Bald Eagle and Cooper's Hawk), Grant County (Red-tailed Hawk) and Polk County (Trumpeter Swan).
The Department of Natural Resources has requested the public to contact the agency with reports of birds that show tremors, circling movements or holding their heads in an unusual position, all symptoms of HPAI.
Reports can be made to the DNR Wildlife Hotline by email to DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@wi.gov or by leaving a voicemail message for a return phone call at (608) 267-0866.
Eagles made headlines earlier this spring when four nests, including two with egg laying and tending, were documented in Milwaukee County. Until this year, Milwaukee was the only county in the state without a confirmed bald eagle nest.
The Bay View pair did not lay eggs but constructed a stick structure in a tree on a private property. The birds became star attractions in the neighborhood.
