EMPIRE, MICH. -- An estimated 300 dead birds were found over the weekend along beaches at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The birds likely died from an outbreak of type-E botulism, also known as avian botulism, according to park officials.
Most of the dead birds were long-tailed ducks, a species of migratory waterfowl known for beautiful plumage. Loons and mergansers were also among the dead, according to park Wildlife Biologist Vince Cavalieri.
Type-E botulism is a bacteria-produced toxin that can infect invertebrates and small fish, which are then eaten by waterfowl, causing sickness and death by paralysis. Typically occurring in the fall, outbreaks of avian botulism have been reported in the Great Lakes region since the 1960s, with increased, though sporadic, frequency along northwest Michigan’s Lake Michigan coast since the early 2000s.
Sleeping Bear Dunes monitors for these outbreaks through a volunteer group known as the Bot Squad, which surveys the park’s shoreline each week to collect data on sick and dead birds.
“I don’t think we’ve seen quite this level of short-term high numbers since probably at least 10 years, if not more,” Cavalieri said of this weekend’s outbreak.
Water temperatures, lake levels and invasive species like the zebra mussel, quagga mussel and round goby are considered some of the key factors in the spread of avian botulism. Researchers are still working to understand what causes upticks in sudden botulism-related outbreaks, but it’s thought that warmer, shallower water may play a role.
In a social media post, park staff reminded visitors that no one should touch wildlife without proper equipment and training, and that it is illegal for unauthorized civilians to handle wildlife at Sleeping Bear Dunes.
Cavalieri added that people who walk their dogs along the park’s beaches should exercise caution and make sure their pets stay far away from any sick or dead birds.
Guidelines on how to report dead, sick or injured birds at Sleeping Bear Dunes can be found online here.
If you find dead waterfowl along the Great Lakes outside of the park, you can report it to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
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