Rehabbers to the rescue, saving sick birds in the Klamath Basin
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Ducks recover in the 'duck hospital' on Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Since late July, several refuges and wetlands along the Pacific Flyway have experienced outbreaks of avian botulism. Credit: Bird Ally X
January Bill of Bird Ally X performs an intake exam on a green-wing teal rescued from Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Bird Ally X
Duck Hospital
by Susan Sawyer, Public Affairs Officer,
Klamath Basin, US Fish and Wildlife Service
January Bill never has a dull moment when it comes to caring for sick wildlife. As co-founder of wildlife rescue group Bird Ally X, she has helped manage the daily treatment and recovery of birds suffering from avian botulism at the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge ‘duck hospital.’
Bill moves quickly between tasks – performing intake exams on waterfowl and shorebirds, preparing bowls of food for recovering birds and providing orientation to new volunteers. While expertly inserting a tube in the throat of a sick duck, Bill explains that botulism is a neurotoxin that can paralyze birds and the primary treatment is to flush the toxins out with hydration fluids.
Since late July, several refuges and wetlands along the Pacific Flyway have experienced outbreaks of avian botulism. The Clostridium botulinum bacteria lives in wetland soils and when conditions are right, can result in high waterbird mortality.
The disease seems to occur more often between July and September, when large numbers of migratory birds are molting and unable to fly.
Botulism’s deadly cycle appears to be broken when there are fewer bird carcasses attracting egg-laying flies whose infected larvae are ingested by other birds, or freezing temperatures limits fly activity.
The ‘duck hospital’ at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge was an equipment storage shed where sick birds had been treated in the past. To accommodate the higher numbers of birds during this recent botulism outbreak, the shed needed an extreme makeover. Credit: Susan Sawyer/USFWS
Bird allies to the rescue
John Vradenburg, supervisory refuge biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, initially contacted Bill in mid-August to ask for help assessing the refuge on-site disease response facility and create a list of supplies needed to treat sick birds.
Vradenburg said there really is no way to prevent a botulism outbreak.
“Botulism occurs every year, but the scale of an outbreak varies and is difficult to predict,” Vradenburg said. “Sometimes we get it, sometimes we don’t.”
However, Bill said it soon became apparent the disease was progressing rapidly, creating an immediate need for a functional facility with trained staff to accommodate the increasing numbers of sick birds. She contacted Marie Travers, a waterbird rehabilitation specialist who arrived the following week to co-manage the response effort.
“When I got here, there were no supplies or equipment to rehabilitate the birds,” said Bill, who has a degree from Humboldt State University in animal physiology and wildlife management. “We’ve been building this field hospital while treating the birds.”
Staff from Bird Ally X quickly worked to construct pens, enclosures, food storage and exam areas in the 'bird hospital' as the botulism outbreak spread. The refuge supported their efforts with funding, volunteer coordination and purchasing supplies needed for bird care. Credit: Bird Ally X
The refuge equipment storage shed had been used for bird care during past outbreaks, but it needed an extreme makeover to become a viable treatment center. As the scale of the outbreak grew, Bill said they were receiving and treating birds as quickly as staff and volunteers could install conditioning pools, enclosures, an exam area, food storage and a makeshift lab.
Bill said the refuge has been very supportive of Bird Ally X by assisting in volunteer coordination and providing supplies and resources.
Orders for wading pools, yards of shade cloth and tarps, and special waterfowl and shorebird food - including 40,000 live mealworms - are a regular occurrence. Posts on social media and a local news story brought in additional donations of funds and volunteers.
“Definitely the refuge and local communities have embraced Bird Ally X being here,” said Vradenburg. “What they have done with the 'duck hospital' and rehabilitating the birds is pretty amazing.”
The disease seems to occur more often between July and September, when large numbers of migratory birds are molting and unable to fly. Botulism’s deadly cycle appears to be broken when there are fewer bird carcasses attracting egg-laying flies whose infected larvae are ingested by other birds, or freezing temperatures limits fly activity.
Vradenburg said there really is no way to prevent a botulism outbreak.
With Bird Ally X managing bird treatment and rehabilitation, the refuge staff can focus on monitoring the wetlands. They use airboats to rescue sick and remove dead birds daily, thus limiting the risk of infection to other birds.
January Bill (left) and John Vradenburg examine a duck prior to its release. Their hope is that Bird Ally X and the refuge partnership can be used as a model for other refuges to set up bird treatment facilities for future outbreaks. Credit: Bird Ally X
triage for birds
Inside the bird hospital, the only sounds are the soft quacks,whistles and peeps of recovering waterfowl and shorebirds. All aspects of being kept indoors in pens, including human voices and handling, are stressful for the birds and can negatively impact immune systems already weakened by botulism.
"An important component of successful wildlife rehabilitation is understanding the stressors of captivity and the responses that can impair recovery,” said Bill.
Supervisory refuge biologist John Vradenburg examines a duck prior to its release in a healthy wetland several miles away. Waterfowl and shorebirds respond well to supportive care and treatment, he said. Credit: Bird Ally X
The rescued birds come in suffering from different stages of botulism poisoning. Some are completely paralyzed, unable to lift their heads or close their eyes and for all appearances look dead. Bill uses a stethoscope to detect a heartbeat on the most critical patients.
All birds are examined and given fluids with vitamin E either orally, under the skin or intravenously if suffering more severe paralysis. This helps treat the effects of capture myopathy, a potentially deadly condition that causes muscle damage from extreme stress.
The most critical birds are placed in an intensive care area, resting in soft sided playpens with their keels propped up on towels to prevent lesions that result from being housed out of water. Birds are evaluated daily and if making good progress, are moved to pools where they can fly, dive and feed on insects and duck weed.
“Infected water birds and shorebirds definitely respond to supportive care,” said Bill. “With proper treatment, these birds have a good chance of surviving to release.”
Unfortunately, many birds are found dead in the marsh. All of the infected carcasses are incinerated to ensure the deadly toxins aren’t spread. All equipment used in the field and hospital is cleaned and disinfected daily as birds move from rescue to recovery.
“A lot of what our volunteers do to help with bird treatment includes supportive care; laundry, washing equipment and scrubbing floor mats. It’s hard work, but it’s critical to the successful recovery of these birds,” said Bill.
A Bird Ally X staff member prepares to release ducks rehabilitated from the effects of botulism poisoning. More than 350 birds have been successfully treated and released at Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge since the rescue project began. Credit: Bird Ally X
rescue, recover, and release
Dr. Shannon Riggs starts an IV in a paralyzed duck to push needed fluids for flushing the toxins out. Credit: Bird Ally X
On a recent Monday, Bill waited for newly collected birds to arrive from the refuge. She was relieved when only five birds were brought in for treatment, showing less severe symptoms compared to birds from a few weeks earlier.
Later that afternoon, she and Vradenburg released several ducks and shorebirds that were fully recovered after a few days of care.
Some birds make a complete recovery within days while others take weeks after rescue. Rehabilitated birds are released in a healthy wetland several miles away. To date, 82 percent of the rescued birds have been successfully treated and released.
“We hope the partnership with the refuge and the treatment protocols developed from this response can be used as a model for other refuges to help save birds in the future,” Bill said.
Vradenburg agreed the partnership with Bird Ally X has been positive. “It feels better seeing birds being rehabilitated and released back on the wetlands...it’s a ray of hope that something good is coming out of this in the end.”