Major duck die-off

Vince Pagliaroli

Vince Pagliaroli

Well-known member
New York DEC in western NY, reports hundreds of diving ducks, grebes, Canada geese, Tundra swans and gulls, are dying by the hundreds due to the severe winter. "A major die-off that may kill thousands before it's over. This is unprecedented, we have never seen anything like this." A wildlife biologist with the DEC is quoted in the New York Outdoor News. Dead and dying birds were reported from Eire Pa, to eastern lake Ontario. Not Good.

With night time temps well below freezing, it will not get better anytime soon. Wildlife has taken a major hit this winter, that will impact populations, and seasons I fear.
 
I remember in 1976-77 we had a severe winter and ducks were starving like now.
I remember the delaware bay froze , F&G used planes to drop loads of feed to starving waterfowl on the ice.
Birds like brant were feeding on lawns of homes at the shore.
My uncle had a farm right off the bay and they were dumping loads of corn in the fields for the ducks. He said it was the first time he ever say buffleheads in a field.
With all the warm winters we have had birds have not been migrating as far as they used to and should have, a bad winter like now catches them in a bad way.
 
I have not seen those numbers in Erie. A few weeks ago before a lot of water opened I investigated a fairly significant die off. I estimated 150 birds, almost exclusively red-breasted mergansers. I was able to collect half a dozen birds. Initial necropsy showed emaciation. Tissue samples were sent to test for botulism, west Nile, avian flu, etc. I also heard of a die off of coots down by Pymatuning. I checked Presque Isle on Friday and only saw two dead birds. The biologists have been trapping waterfowl and haven't said anything about a significant die off. There is a decent amount of open water now....and it is packed with ducks. If you want to see divers, the south pier is the place to go.... Redheads, goldeneye, cans, bluebills, buffies, mergansers, long tails, even saw a scooter.
 
I've been trying to follow this. Initially heard that it was limited to fish eating ducks and birds but obviously its getting worse. What a shame. Ducks never left the fingerlakes. Even on a local lake that is completely frozen over we have mallards, redheads, bluebills on the lakes outlet. Crazy. Only thing that might save them is the people that feed them corn...
 
Last week there was a story in the Chicago Tribune About a large die off on Lake Michigan. Mostly scoters and RB mergansers. Starved.
 
Steve

The article I read is on the front page of the New York Outdoor News paper, I got my copy yesterday. The article is by Bill Hilts,Jr, and is very well written. It pertains mostly to NY DEC Region 9, and the scope of the die off is tragic. It's not just diving ducks, but all types of water birds that stayed in the region due to some open water. They are staving to death from lack of fish, mostly emerald shinners. 20% of the worlds population of Bonaparte's gull use this area the article states.
 
Vince, the problem is probably a great lakes one, as opposed to the entire Atlantic and Central flyway--We have not experience the icing here, although it did occur baack in the 70's. Plenty of birds staging down this way, and they usually do not head north until mid April.
Kinda rough, but a part of the process we call seasonality. Yes Virginia, it sometimes gets REALLY cold in the winter.
 
There was a major die off on the St. Clair River a few years back. Biologists gathered a bunch of carcasses and discovered it was starvation. Canvasbacks and Redheads like to winter in the river (and Lake St. Clair if it doesn't freeze solid) and if the winter is too harsh and lasts too long they simply run out of reserves.
 
Where is our NY DEC & Ducks Unlimited ?????????? Years ago on L.I., NY severe winter the DEC dropped tons of corn to the starving Waterfowl. Only concerned Hunters have taken up the task.
UNBELIEVABLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
As Steve said, it's a Natural occurrence during severe winters. Very cold, and lots of ice for four months, and the warm water discharges provide false hope, and open water. Mother nature at work, and many times when we interfere we just make things worse. As waterfowlers it is disturbing, as the Birds have such a highly valued role in each of our lives.
 
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