Bald eagle found in Hinsdale brought down by bird flu

Burr Ridge residents Linda and Russell Meyers were enjoying their daily coffee Friday when something strange caught their eye in Hinsdale: a bald eagle standing near the sidewalk with its head down.

“We like to drive through different neighborhoods and all of a sudden we see this bird on the street,” Linda Meyers said. “I did a double take, but it didn’t look right, so it was concerning, and we decided to call someone.”

She said they stopped and sat on Madison Street, north of Ogden Avenue, with the eagle for about a half hour after she made the call for help. The raptor twice found enough energy to fly briefly, the second time in a wooded area where it was later found and captured by Midwest Bird Collision Monitors managers.

“He was definitely having trouble flying, and I knew it was something neurological, which is a sign of bird flu,” Meyers said. “I wasn’t surprised to find out that’s what it was.”

The next day, the eagle was euthanized at the DuPage County Wildlife Conservation Center in the Forest Preserve District after it was suspected of being infected with avian flu, according to Beth Schirott, a district spokeswoman. from Forest Preserve.

“We knew before it got here that it was most likely avian flu, based on the clinical signs,” said Sarah Reich, chief veterinarian at the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center, formerly known as from Willowbrook Wildlife Center.

Reich said bird flu was first reported in the United States in late 2021, but cases of infection are increasing in the region.

“He appears and disappears,” she said. “This variant seems to be a little more aggressive. The risk of human infection is considered low, but we recommend not touching animals that may be affected. It’s hard for people not to rescue birds in distress, but we suggest they just walk away.

Reich said bird flu is spread by particles, meaning someone doesn’t need to touch an infected animal to be exposed.

This bird flu variant, a highly pathogenic avian flu also known as HPAI and H5N1, has spread across the country. In late December, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources reported that it was “monitoring a significant waterfowl mortality event in many locations across Illinois.”

The variant has been positively identified in several bird species in Illinois, according to information from the DuPage County Forest Preserve District. District officials are alarmed enough to have taken precautions. For one, the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center has stopped accepting waterfowl or other waterfowl for any processing.

“Our top priority is the safety of our staff, volunteers, patients and resident animals,” Reich said.

While low pathogenic avian influenza circulates naturally and is regularly observed in populations of wild waterfowl and shorebirds, such as geese, ducks and gulls, which generally show no significant signs of illness, highly pathogenic avian influenza pathogen is similar to the human influenza virus, or influenza. And like the human flu, it’s hard to stay ahead of the curve.

“It changes every year, which requires a different vaccine,” Reich said.

Highly pathogenic avian flu can infect domestic poultry, leading to high illness and mortality rates, officials said, and in the current outbreak, cattle, cats and other mammals are also susceptible.

Spread to humans is unlikely but still possible, officials said. Clinical signs may include mild flu-like symptoms, such as fever and upper respiratory signs, to severe respiratory illness or pneumonia. People with close, prolonged exposure to infected birds are at much higher risk, including those who work in wildlife rehabilitation centers or on farms.

The DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center urges people not to feed waterfowl or waterfowl, but songbirds are considered low risk, which is why they are not yet recommending the removal of yard feeders.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is monitoring the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza. Reports of five or more dead or dying birds in the same location within a 24-hour period can be reported to IDNR biologists at https://wildlifeillinois.org/idnr-district-wildlife-biologist/.

Chuck Fieldman is a freelance journalist for Pioneer Press.

Originally published: January 7, 2025 at 11:43 a.m. CST