skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

SD public defense duties shift from counties to state; SCOTUS appears skeptical of restricting government communications with social media companies; Trump lawyers say he can't make bond; new scholarships aim to connect class of 2024 to high-demand jobs.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The SCOTUS weighs government influence on social media, and who groups like the NRA can do business with. Biden signs an executive order to advance women's health research and the White House tells Israel it's responsible for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Midwest regenerative farmers are rethinking chicken production, Medicare Advantage is squeezing the finances of rural hospitals and California's extreme swing from floods to drought has some thinking it's time to turn rural farm parcels into floodplains.

CT Bird Deaths Decrease; Cause of Illness Remains a Mystery

play audio
Play

Friday, August 27, 2021   

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Fewer wild birds are dying in Connecticut than earlier this summer, but experts are still trying to pinpoint the cause and are looking for help to identify problems.

Rates of Connecticut bird deaths have dropped by about 75%, so wildlife agencies are changing their previous guidance about not putting out bird feeders and birdbaths in yards.

Patrick Comins, executive director of the Connecticut Audubon Society, said the unidentified illness has been seen in birds from the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and southern states. He added it is unknown if the disease is related to a toxin or environmental issue, and almost all infectious diseases have been ruled out.

"Discovering a new pathogen is obviously much more difficult," Comins explained. "So, there's really no positive or negative test on this, because we don't know what is causing it. And, it may be contagious between birds."

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said residents can put out their bird feeders and birdbaths again, but must clean and disinfect them once a week. They should wear gloves if they need to touch a bird, or any item used by birds.

Comins hopes preventive measures will keep the condition from spreading among year-round local birds, and to others that stop by during their migration south for the winter. Regardless, he noted residents are advised to report any bird illness or fatality to DEEP, with visual documentation, if possible.

"If they find a dead bird, if they can take photos of it, that show particularly the face area," Comins requested. "Also, if the bird is alive and exhibiting neurological syndromes, video of that would be helpful as well."

He added other symptoms include swollen or crusty eyes. He said bird deaths or illnesses should be reported on the state DEEP online database, or by calling the DEEP Wildlife Division at 860-424-3011.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Iowa families can apply for up to $7,600 a year for private school costs. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An ethics committee in the Republican-led Iowa House has dismissed a complaint filed by a group of community activists against a state lawmaker for hi…


play sound

Each spring, hundreds of thousands of California high school seniors have to figure out if they can afford to go to college in the fall - and two new …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A health care workforce shortage in New Hampshire is leaving Alzheimer's patients and their families with few options for treatment. Patients facing …


South Dakota ranks 49th in the country for its contribution to indigent legal defense costs, according to a 2023 report from the Indigent Legal Services Task Force. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

South Dakota is creating an Office of Indigent Legal Services after House Bill 1057 passed the Legislature with nearly unanimous support this month…

Environment

play sound

A Knoxville-based environmental group is voicing concerns over what it sees as an increasing financial strain imposed on taxpayers by nuclear weapons …

Environment

play sound

A bipartisan law set to take effect this summer prohibits foreign adversaries from buying Hoosier farmland. The signature of Gov. Eric Holcomb was …

Social Issues

play sound

Today, people across Arizona are voting in the Presidential Preference Election, a chance for registered Democrats and Republicans to choose their …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021