[BCNnet] Lake Erie Bird Deaths from Botulism Type E
Heaton.Duane@epamail.epa.gov
Heaton.Duane@epamail.epa.gov
Mon, 23 Dec 2002 08:08:59 -0600
BCNnet:
I've pasted below a message from Ward Stone of New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation. It came to me with attachments; I
copied/pasted the list of birds, but not the stomach contents.
Duane Heaton
Palatine, IL
____________________________________
Here is a short update on Botulism at Lake Erie:
1. We have received 6,519 birds (see attached summary) from Lake Erie
so far in 2002. More birds have been picked up by Jason Telecky and the
numbers will grow.
2. The warm weather of the last four days has cleared some snow and
ice from Lake Erie beach areas and has freed up some frozen birds. I
think that there are hundreds of Botulism-killed birds yet to pick up.
Some fresh cases in gulls seem to still be occurring. This isn't
surprising, since there still are carcasses of Botulism-killed birds to
scavenge. It is probable that, with the present ecological conditions,
Botulinum Type E mortalities, are with us in Lake Erie through most if
not all of the year. They are very low in winter and spring and pick up
in the summer and fall. The heaviest mortalities in water birds comes
when migration brings them to Lake Erie in the fall.
3. Attached is a table summarizing Joe Okoniewski's work to date on
the stomach contents of water birds dying of Type E Botulism at Lake
Erie. The predominant mussel being investigated by far is the Quagga.
4. It appears that the Red-eared slider, and perhaps other species of
turtle, have some (perhaps considerable) resistance to Type E Botulinum
toxin. Further research should soon clarify this.
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Species |10/31-12/19|01/01-10/30| Total |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Bufflehead | 1 | | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Cormorant (unspecified) | 7 | | 7 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Cormorant, Double-crested | 11 | | 11 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Crow, American | | 9 | 9 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Duck, Long-tailed | 4750 | 24 | 4774 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Duck, Unidentified | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Duck, Wood | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Gadwall | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Goldeneye | 1 | | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Goose, Canada | 2 | 10 | 12 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Grackle, Common | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Grebe (unspecified) | 42 | | 42 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Grebe, Horned | 84 | 1 | 85 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Grebe, Red-necked | 4 | | 4 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Gull (unspecified) | 8 | 7 | 15 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Gull, Bonaparte's | 24 | 1 | 25 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Gull, Greater Black-backed | 13 | 9 | 22 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Gull, Herring | 134 | 34 | 168 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Gull, Lesser Black-backed | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Gull, Ring-billed | 72 | 115 | 187 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Gull, Sabines | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Hawk, Cooper's | 1 | | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Hawk, Red-tailed | 1 | | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Heron, Great Blue | 3 | 1 | 4 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Loon, Common | 411 | 8 | 419 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Mallard | 2 | 2 | 4 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Martin, Purple | | 2 | 2 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Merganser (unspecified) | 226 | | 226 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Merganser, Common | 4 | 1 | 5 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Merganser, Red-breasted | 450 | 1 | 451 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Owl, Eatern Screech | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Owl, Saw-whet | 1 | | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Robin, American | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Sanderling | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Sandpiper | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Scaup, Greater | 12 | | 12 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Scaup, Lesser | 1 | | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Scoter(unspecified) | 2 | | 2 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Scoter, Black | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Scoter, White-winged | 9 | | 9 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Sparrow, House | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Swallow, Barn | | 1 | 1 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
|Swan, Mute | | 2 | 2 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|
| Total| 6279 | 240 | 6519 |
|---------------------------+-----------+-----------+--------|