Observation: When going on her evening walk in the boat harbor, Tiffany Jackson noticed a dead bird floating in the water. This is just one of many dead birds spotted in the boat harbor this summer. When asking the fisherman, they haven't really noticed any dead birds floating. With finding all these dead birds in the harbor, we are wondering if there is some kind of virus or sickness in these birds. Karis Porcincula, Qagan Tayagungin Tribe of Sand Point Village
Center for Climate and Health Consult: This particular seabird I've seen while growing up in the Aleutians. The local name used to describe the seabird would be, "rock-duck," or otherwise known as the pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba). They are medium-sized seabirds that are close cousins to auklets, murres, murrelets, and puffins. Eye-catching breeding plumage and the delightful antics of their courtship rituals make them engaging. Guillemots have the widest array of vocal calls and behaviors to affect pair bonding and establish dominance hierarchies. Lively duet flights and “water games” begin the courtship. Spectacular chases at, or just below, the water surface, leap-frog competitions, and whistles and trills are typical behavior at the colony. These antics usually occur during a high tide “social hour” on the rocks below nest sites. Source: US FWS, Alaska Seabird Information Series
Media: The cause of the bird die-offs is currently being investigated by several agencies. A recent article by Alaska Public Media (2015-08-04) discussed the die-offs in the Homer area. The leading theory on a cause of mortality is food related. Leslie Slater the Gulf of Alaska Unit Biologist for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge says there are a lot of potential reasons for the increase in fatalities but the prevailing cause is likely tied to the birds’ food sources." You can read the article Bird Death Reports Are Up In Homer, Food Sources Possibly To Blame, by Quinton Chandler, KTOO Juneau
