The mysterious illness sickening and killing songbirds has now been identified in 69 of Indiana’s 92 counties.
This includes the counties of Allen, Bartholomew, Benton, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Dearborn, Decatur, DeKalb, Delaware, Dubois, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jasper, Jay, Jefferson, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Parke, Porter, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, St. Joseph, Starke, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Union, Vanderburgh, Vigo, Warrick, Washington, White, Whitley.
According to the DNR website, the illness is now affecting 10 species of songbirds including American robin, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, common grackle, European starling, sparrow, house finch, northern cardinal, red-headed woodpecker, and wren.
DNR started receiving reports of sick and dying birds from Monroe County with neurological signs, eye swelling, and crusty discharge around the eyes in May.
DNR staff has collected samples and submitted them to the Indiana Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory.
Final laboratory diagnostic results are pending – the cause or transmission is currently unknown and still under investigation.
In the meantime, the DNR recommends that all Hoosiers remove their birdfeeders, including those for hummingbirds, statewide.
Hoosiers are encouraged to report sick and dead wildlife to the DNR by using the reporting tool at on.IN.gov/sickwildlife.
