Hundreds of ducks have been found sick or dead along Lake Michigan in Chicago, and it is possible the bird flu is to blame.
A volunteer conservation group known as Chicago Bird Collision Monitors said people informed them on Friday about the red-breasted mergansers being found along the shores from Hyde Park to Wilmette, NBC Chicago reported on Monday.
In a social media post on Sunday, the group called it a “Massive merganser die-off.”
“These birds are grounded on beaches, yards, parking lots and sidewalks. They present with tremors and little ability to move,” its post read:
Massive merganser die-off After hundreds of calls regarding geese, hawks and owls demonstrating symptoms of bird flu…
Posted by Chicago Bird Collision Monitors on Sunday, February 2, 2025
The group’s director, Annette Prince, told NBC Chicago that people reported an estimated 200 to 300 infected mergansers. The outlet noted that bird flu has been spreading throughout Illinois and the rest of the country.
About mergansers, Prince explained: “They really shouldn’t be on land. These birds only come on land when they’re in distress and no longer strong enough to fly or navigate the waters of the lakes, so it’s concerning if anyone notices these birds out of place from their typical aquatic environment.”
She also noted the virus thrives in cold weather and there are fears it could spread to other kinds of birds.
According to the National Audubon Society, mergansers live in coastal bays during the winter months.
“A slim, crested, fish-eating duck, commonly seen around jetties and piers along the coast. Superficially this species is quite similar to the Common Merganser,” the site reads. “However, the Red-breasted Merganser nests farther north, winters mostly on salt water, and nests mainly on the ground, while the Common winters mostly on fresh water and nests in cavities.”
In late 2024, a hatchery in California was forced to put down 13,000 ducks and geese due to the bird flu infecting its animals, Breitbart News reported.
