State and Vigo County officials are responding to a suspected outbreak of avian influenza in Terre Haute after hundreds of dead crows were collected across the city last week.
According to Brendan Kearns, director of the Vigo County Soil and Water Conservation District, avian influenza showed up in the crow population in December when 60 crows were found dead.
Last week, reports of dead crows resumed.
“We started seeing crows literally dropping out of trees near our office,” Kearns said. “We have a pine tree right out in front, and all of a sudden, there are four dead crows.”
Kearns said the Department of Natural Resources said it suspects avian influenza is to blame.
Kearns said local crews partnered with the health department last Wednesday and Thursday to collect more than 500 dead crows within a one-mile radius, including an urban area near Wabash Avenue, where 190 dead crows were picked up.
When crews went out Friday, more than 30 additional crows were found in the same location.
“It's kind of an apocalyptic site here,” Kearns said. “You know, you walk around, you see dead birds on the ground, but then when you see them hanging in trees, you know, with their wings out, their claws still on the branch. It's just, it's so surreal. It's a terrible thing to see.”
He said sick birds exhibit strange behavior prior to death, including disorientation, green feces and exhaustion.
Terre Haute has dealt with large winter crow populations since the 1990s. Kearns estimated more than 60,000 crows migrate to the city each year. The birds typically roost in urban areas, causing noise and mess that has frustrated residents for decades.
“I'm not saying people are celebrating this, but there's not a whole lot of sympathy for these crows, you know, dying in this area,” Kearns said. “People feel like there's too many of them anyway. And I get it, but it is sad to see these animals just dropping dead the way they are.”
Crows are not the only species of bird reported to have bird flu in Vigo County. Kearns said snow geese and Canada geese have also been reported showing signs of the disease.
Kearns said residents with backyard chickens are concerned about bird flu, saying that while Vigo County doesn’t have large poultry operations, there is still merit to worrying about small flocks.
According to DNR Avian Health Specialist Eli Fleace, the safety of poultry will largely depend on the barns’ ability to maintain biosecurity.
“The real crux of the issue there is, we can’t prevent the virus from spreading in wildlife,” Fleace said. “USDA and Board of Animal Health have worked with a lot of farmers on good biosecurity practices to help them protect their flocks.”
Fleace said cats also can contract bird flu.
“I believe there have been some cats that have died across the country from avian influenza,” he said. “It seems as though dogs are not affected by the virus. However, influenza viruses are notorious for mutating, and so we don't know if dogs will maintain that immunity over time.”
Fleace said avian influenza outbreaks normally last for a season, but the strain found in December has been in Indiana since 2022.
“It's acting a little bit differently than any avian influenza virus has in the past, in that it's persisting,” Fleace said.
Avian influenza can pass to humans, Fleace said, but risk of infection is low.
Fleace noted the DNR has received reports of more than 700 dead crows in the past week, but that number could be an underestimate.
Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun recommended people keep their cats indoors while the city does clean up.
“We're doing what we can to collect the dead crow bodies and really get it all cleaned up,” Sakbun said. “Really proud of the state and local departments all involved in this effort.”
Sakbun emphasized that the city is not poisoning crows.
“Some folks are rightfully concerned about birds dropping dead from the sky, and we understand those concerns,” the mayor said. “We'll continue to push the information we receive from the DNR, as well as the county health department, to offer fact-based reasoning as to why it's happening.”
Kearns said people outside the county have called his office sharing concerns about the outbreak. He said birds are social animals, which can contribute to the spread of bird flu.
“Birds do not know county lines so they're not stuck here in Vigo County,” Kearns said. “Is Sullivan County going to be the next county? Is it going to be Monroe?”
