i received this message while i was out-of-town, and thought that
i'd share it with you. if you've already seen this message, please
accept my apologies for duplicating someone else.

regards,

Deborah Wisti-Peterson email:nyneve at u.washington.edu
Department of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash, USA
Visit me on the web: http://students.washington.edu/~nyneve/
<><><>Graduate School: it's not just a job, it's an indenture!<><><>


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 21:44:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: ProMED <promed at promed.isid.harvard.edu>
To: promed-ahead at promedmail.org
Subject: PRO/AH> Migratory bird die-off - USA (Illinois) (02)


MIGRATORY BIRD DIE-OFF - USA (ILLINOIS) (02)
********************************************
A ProMED post
<http://www.healthnet.org/programs/promed.html>

[see also:
Migratory bird die-off - USA (Illinois) 991019224326]

[1]
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 13:39:21 -0700
From: Evans, Richard <RICEvans at hca.co.orange.ca.us>


On Saturday, 16 Sep 1999, I was contact by the Director of Treehouse
Wildlife Center near Brighton, Illinois to consult concerning this die-off.
Members of their staff have visited the site with an Illinois Department of
Natural Resources biologists on Sunday.

They reported by Tuesday at least 6,000 dead birds had been picked up from
a field of winter wheat and it appears the death toll may reach 10,000. The
birds are predominantly granivorous species: red-wing blackbirds, grackles,
starlings, etc. A small number of these birds were moribund with
neurological signs including weakness, inability to stand or fly, head
tilts, etc. They were taken to the center for rehabilitation. A Red-Tailed
Hawk exhibiting nystagmus, tail twitching, etc. was also found on the scene
and taken in for treatment. Vultures were also seen scavenging the dead
birds but all appeared in good health.

Local citizens have voiced concerns a pesticide or other toxicant was
applied to the field in the form of broadcasted tainted seeds to prevent
these birds from destroying the sprouting winter wheat. Unsprouted wheat,
oat and corn seeds were found throughout the field and gross postmortems
revealed the gizzards of dead birds contain the seeds as well as evidence
of acute agonal death.

--
Richard H. Evans, DVM, MS
Chief Veterinary Services
Regulatory Health Services
Orange County Health Care Agency
email: ricevans at hca.co.orange.ca.us.

[2]
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 08:07:32 -0500
From: Dr. John J. Andrews <jandrews at cvm.uiuc.edu>


The news photographs of these birds indicated clearly that they were
red-wing blackbirds. Grackles are commonly called "blackbirds" in the
midwest and these birds were definitely NOT grackles.

Further infromation from one of the veterinary diagnostic laboratories in
the state indicated that most of the birds they received were male red wing
blackbirds, a few Brewer's blackbirds and several purple grackles.

--
J J Andrews
University of Illinois
e-mail: jandrews at cvm.uiuc.edu

[3]
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 16:47:46 -0500
From: REBECCA J ROBISON <BJFIRE at prodigy.net>
Source: News media (edited)


Grain laced with a pesticide and deliberately spread on an Illinois farm
field killed at least 25 000 blackbirds, most of them belonging to a
protected species.

"It appears it was a commonly used agricultural insecticide applied to some
grain that was then spread in the field, apparently for the sole purpose of
eliminating a population of blackbirds perceived to be a nuisance," said
Joe Khayyat, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources. "It
looks now like we have 25 000 dead birds," he added. "We're still picking
them up."

The owner of the farm about 30 miles southeast of St. Louis was cooperating
with the investigation but no one had been charged and it had not been
determined who put the grain in the field.

The birds were found last week with their beaks pointing to the ground,
leading naturalists to first think a violent storm or downdraft had flung
them to earth, crushing them. But laboratory tests indicated pesticide was
the culprit.

About 80 percent of the birds are red-winged blackbirds, a species
protected by federal law and common to Illinois which also migrates
southward in the autumn. The other birds killed were starlings and grackles.

Killing the red-winged blackbirds, Khayyat said, is a violation of the law
and could result in fines. "There are thousands of these birds still
roosting in this very area," he said. "During migration it's not uncommon
to see flocks of 10 000 to 25 000 at a time. Whoever did this apparently
perceived them as a problem."

--
Rebecca J Robison
e-mail: BJFIRE at prodigy.net
...........................tg/es
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