TOP STORIES
Scientists study swan deaths in canal
Scientists are investigating the mysterious deaths of 16 swans on the Grand Canal, Dublin in the past 10 days.
A further 10 swans remain seriously ill after apparently contracting an infection on the water.
The sick birds are being cared for by the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Avian flu has been ruled out but initial reports have pointed to a form of bacterial infection such as botulism.
Herald.ie - www.herald.ie
10 Mar 2011
C Murphy
Location: Portobello Bridge, Dublin, Ireland - Map It
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10 Mar 2011
C Murphy
Location: Portobello Bridge, Dublin, Ireland - Map It
>>>FULL ARTICLE
Mold to Blame for Seagulls that are Dying in San Francisco Bay
Seagulls that are mysteriously dying on 3 acres of Port of San Francisco property are succumbing to overdoses of mold, not waste from a nearby animal rendering plant, according to state wildlife officials.Necropsies performed by the state Department of Fish and Game reveal that birds are dying at Pier 94 because they inhale unusually high amounts of aspergillus, a naturally forming fungus commonly found in decaying vegetation. Scientists say they know this because when the birds’ breasts are pulled back, their insides look “exactly like your old, moldy bread.”
“It is a fungus you can find almost anywhere,” said Dr. Julia Burco, a wildlife veterinarian with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife who specializes in the disease aspergillosis. “They’re exposed and it takes about 42 to 78 hours for them to succumb.”
For more than a decade, upwards of 20 seagulls a month have died on the property just north of the shuttered Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, but the mystery has never been solved.
The Examiner - sfexaminer.com
07 Mar 2011
K Kelkar
Location: San Francisco, California, USA - Map It
>>>FULL ARTICLE
07 Mar 2011
K Kelkar
Location: San Francisco, California, USA - Map It
>>>FULL ARTICLE
American birds of prey at high risk of poisoning from pest control chemicals
A new study by scientists from Maryland and Colorado using American kestrels, a surrogate test species for raptorial birds, suggests that they are at greater risk from poisoning from the rodenticide diphacinone than previous believed. The research, published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, considers the threat posed by diphacinone as its usage increases following restrictions on the use of similar pesticides.
'Recent restrictions on the use of some rodenticides may result in increased use of diphacinone,' said lead author Dr Barnett Rattner from the US Geological Survey. 'Very few controlled studies have examined its toxicity in birds so it is important to determine how lethal this chemical is to wildlife.'
Surveillance programs have reported detection of rates of rodenticide in birds of prey across France, Great Britain and Western Canada, revealing that several second-generation rodenticides can result in non-target deaths, with possible population-level implications.
OTHER WILDLIFE HEALTH RELATED NEWS
- Surprisingly few white sharks off California, census finds
- Non-native snakes are taking a toll on native birds, scientists say
- West Nile Virus found in Elk Grove [California, USA - Map It ]
