"Within a week we saw thousands of shearwaters along the beaches, and witnessed hundreds dead. They would sit on the tideline unable to walk, foraging on dead fish that had washed ashore and trying to feed on the fish in the nets of the set net sites as well."
Observation by Erin Ranney:
I spent the last month and a half in the Egegik district of Bristol Bay fishing at my family's remote camp. I've fished in the area for over 14 years and my dad has fished the area on and off since he was 13. We observed a massive amount of short-tailed shearwaters coming onto the beach where we are located, weak and dying after a mild storm (the season was unusually hot and calm - our windiest day was about 20-knot winds when it can usually get up to 70 knots this time of year); this amount and their behavior after being blown in is something none of us has ever observed before. Not my dad, my grandma (who has worked this area for over 30 years) or any of the other fishermen on the beach.
Within a week we saw thousands of shearwaters along the beaches, and witnessed hundreds dead. They would sit on the tideline unable to walk, foraging on dead fish that had washed ashore and trying to feed on the fish in the nets of the set net sites as well. Large groups would hang around nets. Many were beaten up by the tide, many were very weak.
Comments from LEO Editors:
LEO recently received another observation of dead shearwaters found near Port Heiden. We reached out to Hillary Burgess, the Science Coordinator for the Coastal Observation & Seabird Survey Team (COASST), who responded that other birds had been found near St. Paul Island, Pilot Point, and Ugashik. Birds from Ugashik were sent to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC). We also contacted Kathy Kuletz, the Seabird Coordinator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, who had heard of shearwaters recently hanging around commercial fishing boats and becoming tangled in nets. She also provided guidance on reporting and sending birds in for testing:
"Any information on location, numbers of birds, types (and pictures) of birds, and extent of area where the die-off occurred is helpful. Sometimes a video of a bird that acts sick or abnormal can be helpful in directing diagnostic tests. If there are people on the ground who can collect freshly dead birds, it would be great to get them to our office in Anchorage.
As always, please be careful handling birds, using latex or other gloves and washing hands afterwards. Generally the carcasses need to be frozen, unless it is a one-day turnaround to Anchorage and they can be kept cool. Carcasses need to be very fresh, have relatively clean plumage, no open wounds or decay, with eye still intact. We try to get several birds of each species observed, but even one carcass is useful. There may be someone local who is already coordinating with us who can assist, and we can cover any shipment costs.
Necropsy reports should be available within a week or two (to determine if the birds have starved, and results of some disease tests). Testing for toxins usually takes much longer, between 1 - 3 months, depending on the types of tests, or availability of other labs (there is a USGS lab in Anchorage that can conduct some of the tests)."
8/1/2019 Update Kathy Kuletz writes:
To date we've sent 5 shearwaters from Pilot Point to the NWHC, and the initial necropsy shows starvation as the cause of death. It's not possible at this time to determine if there was exposure to HAB (harmful algae bloom) toxins, but tissues will be sent to labs for testing (though again, it is very difficult to detect such toxins in dead birds, especially if they have nothing in their gut and no fat on their bodies). Other birds are coming in that we plan on sending to the National Wildlife Health Center on Monday (8/5/19), along with a few other carcasses, including the one from Port Heiden.
Exposure to HAB toxins may hinder the bird's ability to forage, leading to starvation. Yes, fish may be moving too deep for the birds with warm water conditions. However, shearwaters eat a lot of krill (euphausiids), normally plentiful in summer along the Alaska Peninsula and other areas of Southeast Alaska. It may be lack of krill, squid, or small fish near the surface (although shearwaters can dive and swim underwater as well, typically around 20m depth, but have been measured at up to 70m deep). Fewer fish or other prey, or of lower quality (less energy dense) could also be affecting them.
Comments from LEO Editors:
Observers can report sick or dead birds by region:
• North Slope: Taqulik Hepa (907) 852-0350
• Northwest Arctic: Cyrus Harris (907) 442-7914
• Bering Strait region: Brandon Ahmasuk (907) 443-4265 or Gay Sheffield (907) 434-1149
• Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta: Jennifer Hooper (907) 543-7470
• Bristol Bay: Gayla Hoseth (907) 842-6252
• Aleutian/Pribilof Islands: Lauren Divine (907) 257-891-3031
or to US Fish and Wildlife directly by calling 1-866-527-3358.
Information to report includes:
- Location, date, and time observed
- Size of area observed (e.g., length of beach)
- Type and number of birds
- Photos of the sick or dead birds
- Video of unusual behavior (approachable or drooping
To ensure the best possible quality of sample, please coordinate the shipment with a contact at USFWS or partner organization.
The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) actively works to track seabird die-offs. COASST offers training for residents to survey a beach and submit data when a die-off occurs. More information can be found at the COASST Die-Off Alert program website.
Observations From Members