Several dead ducks have been found in and around Virginia to have avian influenza (AI). These birds include a Green-winged Teal in Virginia Beach, a Lesser Scaup in Kent County Maryland, and 17 ducks of several species in North Carolina.
Updated Guidance on Feeding Birds from the VA DWR
ACTION ALERT: Help Prevent the Possible Spread of Avian Disease
As hard as it is for bird watchers to take their feeders down, there is now a critical reason to do so. Recent unexplained bird deaths in our region prompted organizations such as the U.S. Geological Survey and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to recommend that citizens remove their feeders and bird baths until the cause of the mortality is determined.