Crow exibiting unusual behavior

Observation by Margo Werner:

I observed a crow exhibiting unusual behavior in Prince William Sound near Harrison Lagoon. The crow was on the beach hiding near a driftwood stump and was unable to fly and struggled to walk. It was bending its head towards its back and was surrounded by a large group of crows protecting it. I took a short video of the behavior but it was getting uncomfortable, so we left it alone. We were only there for the week and didn’t notice any other crows exhibiting similar behavior. The other crows were definitely staying close, but keeping their distance from the affected crow. They were very protective though and flew at our heads repeatedly while we were near it. Really screeching at us.

Comment by LEO Network:

Thank you Margo. This is the first observation we have received in LEO Network about unsual behavior in crows. We have received reports with many other bird species, and over the past two years have seen an uptick with the onset of avian influenza across the State. Your video is super helpful and educational for the observation community. We are forwarding the post to our friends Andy Ramey at USGS and January Frost at USFWS for their insights. There is a USFWS hotline for reporting sick or dead birds, (866) 527-3358. You can also call (907) 229-6357 or email ak_mbm@fws.gov. Another good resource for injured birds is the Alaska Bird Treatment and Learning Center. Their website link is attached. We also copied Michael Opheim for the Chugach Region Resources Commission for his insights. Mike Brubaker

Comment by Andy Ramey, USGS:

The disorientation and inability to fly exhibited by the crow in the (excellent) video provided by Margo Werner is consistent with infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Other common signs of HPAI in wild birds include swimming in circles, a twisted neck, paralysis, and death. Although birds exhibiting these signs cannot be confirmed as infected with HPAI without follow up laboratory testing, they should be considered suspect. LEO observers can help minimize exposure to HPAI by following recommendations offered by the CDC, USDA, and USFWS which include avoiding the harvest or handling of wild birds that are obviously sick or found dead.

HPAI was re-introduced into Alaska and elsewhere in North America in late 2021 and has since affected an unprecedented diversity and number of wild and domestic animals. In addition to reporting observations of sick and dead birds suspected of infection with HPAI on the LEO Network, I encourage observers to also call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Sick/Dead Bird Hotline at 1-866-527-3358. Several potentially helpful weblinks where observers can find more information about HPAI are provided below:

https://health.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Documents/influenza/20240529-H5N1-in-Alaska-Talking-Points.pdf https://www.usgs.gov/centers/alaska-science-center/science/qa-bird-flu-ongoing-threat-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/ https://www.aphis.usda.gov/publications/animal_health/fsc_hpai_hunters.pdf

Comment by January Frost, USFWS:

Great video. Thanks Margo! These symptoms are consistent with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), but without testing we cannot confirm that it is HPAI. There are other conditions and illnesses that can present with very similar symptoms. As Andy said, it is best to consider the bird suspect for highly pathogenic avian influenza and to avoid the harvest or handling of sick or dead birds. We encourage you to call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Sick/Dead Bird Hotline at 1-866-527-3358 with your observations. In addition to the other helpful links that have been provided, you can visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Alaska HPAI webpage for additional information and guidance: https://www.fws.gov/story/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-and-migratory-birds-alaska

Comment by Michael Opheim, CRRC:

We had an eagle here in Seldovia that was acting a bit funny with head bobbing but was able to fly. Not sure if it was seen again after the initial report. this was a week or so ago now. I just saw a post of someone finding a dead arctic tern on a beach. I would have to go back and look for where that was at. Seems like things might be getting worse for the HPAI in the state.

Additional comments by LEO Network:

On the topic of avian flu, there is a LEO Network site with data on laboratory confirmed cases of HPAI in Alaska birds (see the attached link). The data shows only one laboratory confirmed case in a crow tested from earlier this year. LEO Network also has a site with unconfirmed cases based on observations of birds that are seen displaying behavior that suggest highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The link to this site is provide here. There were at least 18 observations of corvids, in 2022. This site was developed based on reports for LEO Network and from USFWS.