Columbus Audubon (Columbus, Ohio)

Articles and News

West Nile Virus Update
by Dave Horn

As expected, West Nile Virus (WNV) is back in Ohio, found first on June 12. As of July 3, 160 birds had tested positive, but no cases had been reported in humans or horses. Only one positive "pool" of mosquitoes had been found. (A "pool" is a local population of mosquitoes. Researchers test batches of mosquitoes from a single location rather than bug-by-bug in order to keep costs reasonable.)

At present, health authorities, veterinarians and environmental organizations are generally taking a "wait and see" approach to WNV in 2003. Certainly we should work aggressively in managing mosquitoes, especially around where we live. Keep that repellent handy. We should continue to report sick and dead birds. Generally health authorities will stop testing once positive cases are found in a locality (again, they're trying to save expenses) but it is still worth keeping track of mortality.

The impact on wild birds remains in question. Thousands of dead and dying birds were reported in Ohio and elsewhere last summer and fall. Three reports in the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) issue of American Birds address the WNV issue. One noted a 40% decline of marked crows in an Oklahoma study within three months of the arrival of WNV. Another analyzed last year's CBCs for 10 species including crows, jays and raptors (thought to be most susceptible to WNV). While declines were noted for some species between 2001 and 2002, similar (and sometimes greater) declines occurred 1995-96 and 1989-90, well before the arrival of WNV. A third article compared CBC data with numbers from Audubon's Project Feederwatch and found that indeed there were sharp and significant declines in crows, jays and chickadees especially in the Great Lakes Region. This is not proof that WNV caused these declines, but the timing makes one suspicious.

For more information visit:

Or you can call the Ohio Department of Health or your county OSU Extension office.

How to Rescue Ailing Raptors in the Field

Editor's Note: Following is a synopsis of instructions for coming to the rescue of owls and hawks you suspect have been stricken by West Nile Virus published in the Columbus Dispatch.

Carolyn Caldwell, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, reports "you can walk up to a raptor on the ground" if it is suffering from WNV. Here are her tips for rescuing them.

1. Observe the bird to make sure it is really sick or injured and not, for example, simply a youngster "learning the ropes from its parents."

2. To handle an obviously sick or injured bird, wear gloves, approach the bird from behind with a towel. Cover the bird just enough to pick it up, and secure its wings with both your hands.

3. If possible use a second, smaller cloth to wrap around the bird's talons. Or you can just hold its legs "loosely but firmly," grasping them near the talons with one finger placed between the legs.

4. Place the bird in a box large enough for it to stand up in and remove the towel or any other covering. Place a stick or block of wood in the box for the bird to grasp. Ample air holes should be punched in the box and the box kept closed when you move the bird.

For more information about rescuing a sick or injured bird, call the Ohio Wildlife Center at 614-761-0134.

Page updated 7/27/03