Dead birds wash up along Chicago's shoreline as avian flu spreads

The avian flu outbreak that has killed millions of chickens nationwide, driving up the price of eggs, is now leaving a grim scene along Chicago’s lakeshore.

Hundreds of dead waterfowl have washed up over the past few days.

What we know:

Volunteers from the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, a group that typically rescues birds injured by building strikes, say they have been overwhelmed with reports of dead and dying birds along the lakefront since late last week.

"It’s very distressing to see," said Annette Prince, the group’s director. "These are beautiful birds. They’re birds we enjoy having on the lakefront in the winter time."

The affected birds are primarily ducks, mergansers, and gulls.

On Sunday alone, nearly a dozen dead mergansers were collected at Oak Street Beach.

"We’re finding quite a few birds either on the ice or on the water that were sick or dead, and many birds washed up onto the beach that needed help," said Prince.

Reports of sick or dead birds have come from across the Chicago area, from Hyde Park to Wilmette.

At 31st Street Beach, at least eight dead waterfowl were found in just a short stretch of shoreline.

The Chicago Department of Public Health acknowledged the die-off in a statement and urged people to avoid contact with the birds to prevent possible exposure to the virus.

What we don't know:

While volunteers estimate deaths in the hundreds, the exact number of birds affected in the Chicago area remains uncertain.

It’s also unclear how much longer the outbreak will persist, though warmer temperatures in the spring and summer may help slow the virus.

What's next:

Experts warn the flu could continue spreading for weeks. Birds that scavenge on infected carcasses are also at risk, worsening the outbreak.

"I think as birds are moving around, they’re spreading it," Prince said. "So this weekend was really the highest number of birds we’ve ever encountered with bird flu."

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