Monroe County is outlined in black.
Healthy American robin (Turdus migratorius) outside the Indiana University Poplars parking garage on 6th Street. (June 30, 2021)
Healthy common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula). Photo by Nancy Lightfoot.
Healthy blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Photo by Nancy Lightfoot.
Healthy American robin (Turdus migratorius) outside the Indiana University Poplars parking garage on 6th Street. (June 30, 2021)
The word on Wednesday from Indiana’s department of natural resources (DNR) was that tests on dead songbirds, now reported in 50 of Indiana’s 92 counties, are still not conclusive.
So state officials still don’t know whether the phenomenon is being caused by a disease or a toxin. The DNR reports that all the birds have tested negative for avian influenza and West Nile virus.
Species of birds involved include: blue jay, American robin, common grackle, starling, northern cardinal, brown-headed cowbird.
The DNR has set up a web page dedicated to the topic of songbird deaths, with a way to subscribe to updates on the latest information.
Indiana’s state ornithologist, Allisyn Gillet wrote in an email to The B Square on Wednesday, “[W]e still do not have any conclusive results about the songbirds declining because our tests and analyses are still pending. The tests are exploring every possible cause…”
In the meantime, bird lovers are being told to remove backyard implements that encourage birds to gather—like feeders and birdbaths. [Updated July 2 at 7:08 p.m.: Indiana’s DNR has updated its page with a link to an audio recording of a Q&A with Gillet.] Continue reading “Songbird deaths still a mystery, as state, local experts advise: Don’t promote bird gatherings” →
