Winter Takes Its Toll (x1)

The severe winter of 2013-2014 is being blamed for being the biggest cause of a large waterfowl die off. This past winter may kill thousands of waterfowl. The extreme cold and excessive ice cover is causing fish eating waterfowl to scramble for food.  The waterfowl is losing this battle. Birds have been dying from starvation and those numbers are currently estimated in the thousands. And that number could grow before the ice departs. Dead and dying waterfowl were being reported from Presque Isle, Pa., to Oswego in Lake Ontario’s eastern basin. DEC Region 9 spokesperson Megan Gollwitzer said the birds need to consume about 20 percent of their body weight per day to maintain a healthy disposition. The death rate of these waterfowl birds is so high that it has made it very difficult to sum up an estimated total of deaths. The DEC has conducted waterfowl counts throughout the winter in Region 9. In one January survey this year nearly 250,000 waterfowl have shown up in the Niagara River Corridor by biologists. In February, the number dropped to fewer than 200,000 birds. “Ducks are showing up in areas that I’ve never seen them in before,” said avid birder Jim Pawlicki of Amherst.  Waterfowl birds are starting to show up in small open water areas like Tonawanda Creek, Ellicott Creek and Gott Creek to name a few here in Erie County. It’s evident these birds are struggling to survive.  However not all of the birds are dying.  Nearly 150 waterfowl birds have been taken to wildlife rehabilitation facilities around Western New York as of early March. It’s not just a question of feeding them because many of the birds have lost the waterproofing qualities of their feathers. Waterfowl have a natural ability to repel water from their feathers. The lack of food and nutrition has caused them to lose their natural oils in their feathers. This winter hasn’t just been difficult for us but also for waterfowl.