After receiving some worrying reports from boaters, officials with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission decided in early March to pay a visit to tiny Cora June Island near the mouth of Hatteras Inlet.
What they found on the sandy island that’s managed as a bird sanctuary during the March-to-August nesting season were hundreds of dead shorebirds, mainly brown pelicans. While final testing to confirm the cause of death is still underway, all signs are pointing to the birds being struck down by highly pathogenic avian influenza, a strain of bird flu that’s been ripping through wild and domestic bird populations for several years now.
“This one was one of the largest mortality events we’ve seen, but it’s kind of not out of the ordinary these days, unfortunately,” said Miranda Turner, a biologist with the wildlife commission.
Bird flu is a contagious disease that’s been devastating bird populations around the world. And just like the flu bug that impacts people, avian flu comes in waves where, depending on the strain, it can hit bird populations harder one year while seeming to regress the next one.
This latest strain of avian flu, classified as highly pathogenic and requiring vigorous control measures among domestic poultry stocks, has stuck around for several years after first arriving in the U.S. earlier this decade, and it shows no signs of slowing down − including spreading to other species, including humans via contact with infected domestic poultry or livestock.
“Anywhere we have migratory birds in the U.S., this virus is probably going to be there,” Turner said.
More: Deadly bird flu strain outbreak reported in US: How easily does it spread?
Hundreds of brown pelicans were found dead, likely from avian flu, last month on a small island near Hatteras Inlet on the Outer Banks.
Scrambling the egg market
But it isn’t just wild birds where the impact from the flu is being felt.
If you’ve been to the supermarket recently to buy eggs or seen some restaurants adding an “egg surcharge” to some of their menu items, avian flu is to blame.
The flu, which domestic birds often catch from interactions with infected wild birds, has decimated poultry farms in many parts of the country.
The highly contagious strain of avian flu requires farmers to wipe out their flocks of chickens and turkeys if an infected bird is discovered to prevent mutations that would make the flu more easily spread among domestic birds and even to humans.
Millions of domestic birds in commercial and backyard flocks have been culled in efforts to control the spread of the virus, including 56.2 million just since December, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That list includes nearly 3.3 million birds at a commercial layer operation in Hyde County in January, according to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The country’s poultry flock consists of more than 378.5 million egg-laying chickens, and in 2023 more than 9.4 billion broiler chickens and 218 million turkeys were processed in the U.S., according to federal statistics.
The virus is not considered a food safety threat, and infected birds do not enter the food supply. But the impact on egg prices has been pronounced, with people paying roughly $6 at the supermarket for a dozen eggs − double what they were paying last year at this time. Surging egg prices accounted for roughly two-thirds of the total increase in food costs in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And things could get worse before they get better, with the USDA predicting egg prices to increase nearly 58% in 2025.
While still rare, avian flu also has been found to have jumped to other livestock and even wild mammals. In one case close to home, a black bear that was found infected with the disease on the Outer Banks in February 2023.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said the risk to humans from this strain of bird flu is “low,” although those who work in livestock and poultry operations should take steps to limit their exposure to potentially infected animals.
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‘The new normal’
While the loss of hundreds of shorebirds to the bird flu is a tragedy, Turner said we need to keep it in perspective.
Coastal North Carolina is a major flyway and stop-over point for migratory and overwintering birds. And because of the prevalence of the flu in wild flocks, anytime birds congregate in close quarters there’s always a good chance of avian flu running rampant.
The birds on Core Dune Island were packed together closely, likely allowing the virus to spread quickly.
While brown pelicans were hit hard, making up the vast majority of the nearly 400 bird deaths on the small island, the flu outbreak isn’t likely to have any long-term impacts on the species’ overall health in North Carolina.
“This loss of more than 300 individuals, while it’s really sad and unfortunate to see, is not going to negatively impact the species as a whole,” she said. “Brown pelicans are still very stable across the U.S.”
Brown pelicans have made a tremendous recovery in recent decades, including in North Carolina, thanks to the outlawing of DDT and other pesticides and moves to protect and enhance their nesting islands. The result has seen a huge surge in pelican numbers, leading the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the bird from the endangered species list in 2009.
Turner said waterfowl make up about two-thirds of the wild birds found to be infected with avian flu, with raptors the next highest group.
With the winter migratory season winding down, researchers expect to see the usual seasonal drop-off in bird flu cases.
But everyone expects flu cases to ramp up again later this year as the migratory season begins anew, and researchers are still asking members of the public to contact authorities if they come across a sick or dead bird. While federal and state researchers simply don’t have the manpower to investigate every situation, Turner said tracking cases allows officials to follow the spread of the virus and monitor which bird species might be especially vulnerable to it.
“While we are experiencing a worse year this year than we did last season, this is still within the realm of the new normal. We do expect to see these types of events a few times in the winter,” she said.
“But unfortunately, this is likely going to be the new normal for the next few years at least.”
Wildlife Helpline: If you come across a sick or dead bird or see any wildlife in trouble, reach out to the wildlife commission at www.ncwildlife.gov/connect/have-wildlife-problem or 866-318-2401.
Reporter Gareth McGrath can be reached at GMcGrath@Gannett.com or @GarethMcGrathSN on X/Twitter. This story was produced with financial support from the Green South Foundation and the Prentice Foundation. The USA TODAY Network maintains full editorial control of the work.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Bird flu suspected in death of hundreds of pelicans on NC’s Outer Banks
