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The Peregrine Chick:
A sad story to end out the year ....
Bald eagle deaths a mystery
Something is killing bald eagles in northern and central Utah, and state wildlife officials are baffled.
by: John M. Glionna, Los Angeles Times / Reprinted in the Winnipeg Free Press - 12/30/2013
SALT LAKE CITY -- Bald eagles are dying in Utah -- 20 in the past few weeks alone -- and nobody can figure out why.
Hundreds of the majestic birds -- many with wing spans of two metres or more -- migrate here each winter, gathering along the Great Salt Lake and feasting on carp and other fish that swim in the nearby freshwater bays.
Earlier this month, however, hunters and farmers across five counties in northern and central Utah began finding the normally skittish raptors lying listless on the ground. Many suffered from seizures, head tremors and paralysis in the legs, feet and wings.
Many of the eagles were brought to the mammoth Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah, where Buz Marthaler -- a longtime animal caretaker -- and other handlers tried to save the birds. Within 48 hours most were dead.
Read the rest of the story here: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/bald-eagle-deaths-a-mystery-237928261.html
The Peregrine Chick:
--- Quote from: Jazzerkins on December 15, 2013, 16:42 ---So sad. :'( http://www.thv11.com/news/article/291065/2/4-bald-eagles-die-in-Utah-from-similar-symptoms
--- End quote ---
I think carbamate (carbofuran/furadan) poisoning includes tremors and/or seizures, not sure about the paralysis though ... furadan is still a legal pesticide in the US I believe ... will be interesting to hear what the necropsy uncovers ...
Jazzerkins:
So sad. :'( http://www.thv11.com/news/article/291065/2/4-bald-eagles-die-in-Utah-from-similar-symptoms
Feather2Fin:
I was really surprised this afternoon to see a bald eagle flying towards the Assinboine river. I spotted it just as we were turning on to Nassau st. N. Unmistakable with the white head, huge wing span and yellow feet. Wow!
The Peregrine Chick:
--- Quote from: Doreen on December 06, 2013, 10:43 ---Very Sad. :'(
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/govt-extends-permit-time-allowing-wind-farms-to-kill-harm-eagles-by-25-years-234743811.html
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Altamont is the NA first wind farm - even possibly before they understood how much of a problem they would/could be to birds, particularly raptors. Now most (note I say most, not all) farms are not built on/along ridges because those are the ones that are the most deadly for raptors who run ridges while migrating. Raptors, like other top predator species, reproduce in small numbers and have a high rate of mortality when young so additional threats are of concern. Altamont is huge and built all over ridges in California and it has high (relative to new wind farms) raptor mortality rates because of this siting. In fact, it is the only site that I have seen burrowing owls as one of the species affected. Not so much how many owls but rather given how few owls there are, that they are the list at all is surprising.
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