After several dozen dead birds were discovered in Wilmette, including in Gillson Park on the lakefront and other locations around town, the village of Wilmette and the Wilmette Park District have instituted policies to remove them.
Both the village and park district advise residents not to touch dead, dying or even healthy-looking wild birds due to the recent outbreak of avian influenza, or bird flu.
“Our guidance is don’t touch sick or dead birds or anything associated with them,” Assistant Village Manager Erik Hallgren said. “Residents can call (the village’s) Public Works (Department) and we can help coordinate a removal.”
If residents decide to remove the birds themselves, they should follow guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health, including wearing gloves, goggles and masks, Hallgren said.
Wilmette officials have received reports of about a dozen dead birds throughout the village, while the Park District has already removed 34 birds from Gillson Park alone since Feb. 3, officials said.
“We have not received reports from the public, likely because our team proactively addressed the situation shortly after staff discovered the birds,” Park Planner Alissa Paquette of the park district said via email. “This occurrence hasn’t been particularly surprising to us, as other lakefront communities began experiencing similar incidents shortly before we did.”
The majority of birds found at Gillson, which sits on Lake Michigan, have been ducks and seagulls, Paquette said.
“The most significant number we encountered in a single day was on Feb. 4 at Gillson Park, where we found 16 mergansers (ducks) and one seagull along the shoreline,” she said. “Staff discovered these birds in different areas throughout the day. These birds were not clustered together.”
Waterfowl, such as ducks and seagulls, have been more affected by the epidemic than other bird species, Paquette said.
“These birds naturally spend significant time on the lake and along the beach, which likely explains the higher number of occurrences in these areas,” she said.
Park District staff is managing the removal of dead birds on their own, Paquette said.
“Our trained staff is handling this task with caution and proper protective measures,” she said.
The village is hiring outside contractors for the job, Hallgren said.
“We have a variety of pest control companies we work with,” he said. “We work with them to have them removed.”
The village website says several hundred ducks have been reported with bird flu along the shores of Lake Michigan. The flu primarily infects poultry, wild birds and U.S. dairy cows, the website said.
The disease can spread to humans if enough virus gets in a person’s eyes, nose or mouth or is inhaled from an infected bird or animal, the site said. However, there is no evidence that it can spread from one human to another, and the risk to the general public is “low,” it said.
The Park District website advises residents to keep their distance from all wild birds, keep pets away from sick or dead birds, and to follow the Department of Public Health’s guidelines for removal.
The Park District posted its guidelines first, but the village joined them shortly afterward, Hallgren said.
“We put up guidance to amplify their message and so the village has a cohesive message about what to do if somebody comes across a dead bird,” he said.
Before the epidemic, Paquette said, she had not received any reports of dead birds on Park District property.
“However, it’s reasonable to assume that isolated incidents have occurred due to natural causes, although they may not have been noticed or reported,” she said.
