Bird Flu May Be Behind Dead Ducks, Birds Washing Ashore Lake Michigan

This is a very scary sight.

Over the last several days residents have reported seeing hundreds of dead birds and ducks washing up along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Here's what we know so far:

As the highly contagious Avian Influenza, or bird flu, outbreak continues to wreak havoc on all corners of the globe including here in the U.S., this is perhaps a sign the worst is yet to come.

While officials in Michigan and several other states have begun screening milk and cheese products for bird flu the outbreak shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, it it appears it's getting worse. According to NBC Chicago,

Hundreds of red-breasted mergansers have been found either dead or sick over the past few days along Lake Michigan...Officials suspect that highly contagious bird flu is the cause of the illnesses found in the mergansers, a species of diving duck that winters in the Great Lakes region.

It's one thing to hear about all the wildlife and farm flocks perishing from bird flu, but it's another thing to see it. Truly a grim sight.

Annette Prince is part of a volunteer conservation group and believes her organization alone received nearly 200-300 reports of sick mergansers over the weekend. These birds typically only touch land when in distress and as Prince told NBC Chicago,

We know this virus does very well in cold weather, and it’s going to stay around, as far as we know, until we get a break and warmer temperatures, so we’re worried that this could continue to spread to other species, other kinds of birds

As of February 3, 2025 there have been 25 Michigan counties who have reported bird flu in their flock. More here.