OMAHA, Neb. (AP & KMTV) — Bird flu is killing an alarming number of bald eagles and other wild birds, with many sick birds arriving at rehabilitation centers unsteady on their talons and unable to fly.
The latest bird flu outbreak has led to the culling of about 37 million chickens and turkeys on U.S. farms since February, with Iowa leading the nation in avian influenza-related losses. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture states that 13,373,901 birds have been culled in the Hawkeye State alone.
The USDA has also confirmed 956 cases of bird flu in wild birds, including at least 54 bald eagles. The number of wild birds that have died from the virus is likely significantly higher. Dozens of the most recent confirmed cases have been in Wisconsin and North Dakota and range from owls to ducks to cranes and crows.
University of Georgia researcher Rebecca Poulson, who has been studying avian influenza for 15 years, says the wild bird death toll in this outbreak is "unprecedented."
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