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Prevent Bird Flu and Save Bald Eagles
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Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site
The highly infectious H5N1 avian influenza virus is posing a serious threat to bald eagles. Take action!
Bald eagles, the national symbol of the United States, are facing an unprecedented risk of death from highly infectious avian influenza1.
Nest failures and deaths reported due to the H5N1 avian influenza strain have reached an alarming rate, and an unprecedented number of mating pairs are disappearing.
This is a serious threat to the species, and if not addressed, could have devastating effects for decades to come.
Recent studies show that just under half of the bald eagle nests in coastal Georgia fledged an eaglet in 2022, which is 30% below average for the season2.
The influenza was documented in Georgia’s bald eagles for the first time in April 2022 after dead eagles were found in Chatham, Glynn, and Liberty counties in March3. The success rate for nests in one Florida County was 50% lower than average, dropping from an average of 86.5% to 41%.
Reports of bald eagles dying across the United States and Canada have raised concerns among researchers. The University of Georgia’s Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study has diagnosed cases of the influenza in high numbers of bald eagles and other avian species from member states4. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service also revealed that the influenza is widespread in bald eagles, and federal officials suspect that eagles and other raptors contract the virus by eating other diseased birds5.
Eagles that have been monitored for years are being found dead below their nests, with their mates and chicks often passing shortly after6. If these trends continue for even a single year, bald eagle populations could be devastated for decades to come.
Since its first detection in the United States in January 2022, the H5N1 virus has infected more than 58 million domestic poultry animals, including chickens and turkeys, in 777 outbreaks. The virus has also infected at least 146 avian species and has been documented in every state but Hawaii and every Canadian province and territory7.
H5N1 has since spread to 17 other wildlife species in 22 states, including 60 red foxes, 16 harbor seals, and 14 striped skunks. Nearly half the infected red foxes were reported in Michigan and Wisconsin8.
While bird flu primarily strikes animals, it has so far been detected in four people in the United States9. Symptoms include eye redness, flu-like upper respiratory symptoms that range from mild to severe, fever, and body aches.
As individuals, we can take steps to reduce the risk of bird flu and protect the bald eagle population.
Join us in taking action to protect these magnificent birds. Sign our pledge to help prevent the spread of bird flu!
