State wildlife officials say the deaths of three dozen juvenile herring gulls in Portland’s Deering Oaks Park over the past 3 weeks is not a cause for alarm.
Judy Camuso with the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says die-offs like this are relatively common in wild birds, but most of the time occur in places away from the public. She says this type of mortality is typically seen in birds that nest in colonies, such as herring gulls.
Camuso says whatever is affecting the birds travels through the group.
“It typically just impacts or effects the young birds because they don’t have the same immunity, they don’t have as much fat, they’re not as strong as the adults,” she says.
Camuso says initial screening has indicated that the gulls were not poisoned and wildlife officials don’t think the die-off is caused by something like West Nile virus or avian flu. Several of the gulls have been sent to an out-of-state lab for testing.
People who see dead birds in the Portland area are being asked not to touch them but to contact IF&W, who will come and get them.
