The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), often called “bird flu”, is an extremely contagious and serious illness that impacts our feathered neighbours. While waterfowl can be asymptomatic carriers, symptoms can manifest in birds of prey (owls, hawks, falcons etc.), corvids (blue jays, crows, and ravens), shorebirds, game birds, and domestic flocks (poultry) – and can be deadly for them. Thankfully the risk in songbirds, pigeons and doves is quite low.
Recently, there have been confirmed HPAI outbreaks in wild birds across southern Ontario, involving mostly waterfowl and raptors. Several Canada geese and a few snowy owls who were rescued by TWC also tested positive for avian influenza. The outbreak area spans from the southwest tip of Ontario to as far east as Cobourg, and there has been several large mortality events. The avian influenza virus can survive during freezing temperatures, and the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) suspects the very cold weather over the past few weeks has helped the virus spread. This was seen last winter as well when large mortality events followed a cold snap.
Our teams have been working very hard to implement safety measures that will allow us to continue treating sick, injured and orphaned birds. To keep animals safe, we have built an outdoor triage tent to assess high-risk bird patients, set up disinfectant foot baths and shoe scrubs at entrances, have dedicated teams caring for specific species groups to avoid spread, and are isolating potentially infected birds from patients already in our care. And of course, full personal protective equipment (PPE) will be worn at all times when in contact with these bird species.
If you find a bird who needs help:
Common symptoms to look out for in a potentially sick bird are lack of energy/movement, as well as neurological signs like tremors, lack of coordination, circling, head tilting, falling over, and holding the neck in a twisted position.
If you come across birds you believe to be sick, please call our Wildlife Hotline at (416) 631-0662 and leave a message or fill out our online Request for Assistance Form. A member of our team will call you back to gather details, assess the situation, and provide next steps. If we are closed, please consider containing the bird and follow methods outlined here. Make sure to wear appropriate PPE, including a mask and gloves that can be laundered or thrown away after handling the bird. An extra layer to cover clothing (e.g. long-sleeved shirt, large black garbage bag) that can be laundered or thrown away afterwards is recommended when containing large birds that may come in contact with your body; minimize contact as much as possible.
If it is determined that the bird should be admitted to TWC, Hotline staff will provide details on procedures to follow upon arrival. Songbirds, pigeons and doves are considered low-risk species for transmission of HPAI and can be admitted through our front door, as normal. However, birds of prey (e.g. hawks, owls), corvids (e.g. blue jays, crows), and waterbirds (e.g. swans, ducks, geese, gulls, shorebirds) are considered higher risk species for transmission of HPAI. As such, please do not bring these birds inside the centre upon arrival. For avian species not mentioned here, Hotline staff will provide information on a case-by-case basis.
Instructions for arriving with a bird of prey, waterbird or corvid:
Birds from these species will first be examined in our outdoor triage tent to determine if they are exhibiting signs of HPAI. Upon arrival at TWC, please leave the bird in your car (parked in a cool space with windows down or with AC running) and come to our front desk where Hotline staff will complete an intake chart for the patient. Further instructions will be provided upon completion of the admission. Please be advised that we can only assess one bird at a time in our outdoor triage tent. You may be asked to wait with the bird you have found until space becomes available.
