Fellow Birders,
Last week the Center for Conservation Biology at William and Mary received
distressing confirmation that the death of 3 young Peregrine Falcons was caused
by West Nile virus. A West Nile virus test (an indicator test, not wholly
conclusive) on a mouth swabbing from a fourth chick was positive. The parent
male was found alive beneath the nest site exhibiting neurological distress
behaviors symptomatic of a West Nile virus infection. Both the male and the
live chick were taken to the Wildlife Center of Virginia. The chick seems to
be making a recovery. To date the adult male has not shown much improvement.
For obvious reasons, the Center is not at liberty to reveal where this
falcon nest is.
Also, an adult Brown Pelican, clearly in neurological distress, was found
by Center for Conservation Biology staff on Smith Island in the upper part of
the Chesapeake Bay on July 2. We have no proof that the bird was suffering
from a West Nile virus infection, though the symptoms were classic for such.
Bill Williams
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
