300 Dead Birds Found On Sleeping Bear Dunes Beaches

Around 300 dead birds were found along the Sleeping Bear Dunes shoreline.

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Park officials believe they know what caused the bird's death.

300 Dead Birds Found On Sleeping Bear Dunes Beaches

The dead birds were found over the weekend along several Sleeping Bear Dunes beaches. It's suspected that they likely died from an outbreak of type-E botulism, also known as avian botulism.

What Is Avian Botulism?

Avian botulism is a sickness that affects birds and can make them very sick or even cause them to die. It is caused by a type of bacteria called Clostridium botulinum that is found in soil and water.

There are two types of avian botulism that affect birds: Type C and Type E.

Type C usually affects birds that live in or near water, like ducks and geese. They can get sick from eating small animals that live in the water, like snails or worms, that have the bacteria in them.

Type E usually affects birds that eat fish, like loons and gulls. They can get sick from eating fish that have the bacteria in them.

What Happens To Birds That Get Avian Botulism

When birds get sick from avian botulism, they can have trouble moving their muscles and may not be able to hold their head up. They can also have trouble breathing and may die.

What Causes Avian Botulism?

Scientists think that avian botulism happens more often when the water is warm and doesn't have a lot of oxygen in it. This can cause the bacteria to grow and make more of the toxin that makes birds sick.

What Kind Of Birds Were Found Dead?

A majority of the dead birds were long-tailed ducks, along with Loons and mergansers.

Long Tailed Ducks

Loons

Mergansers

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