Skagit Audubon Society

Photo by Ann Kramer

Watching Birds - Protecting Habitat - Connecting With Nature

Our mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.  

In response to the COVID-19 virus, some of our general meetings are being held at the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center while others will be available on Zoom only. Hybrid meetings are not currently offered.  Please check the monthly program description for meeting details. As with our hikes and field trips, only vaccinated, symptom-free individuals should attend meetings in person. Some programs offer “watch parties” - see newsletter for details.

Band-tailed Pigeon Research

The population of Band-tailed Pigeons in Washington State appears to have been in decline for some time. Washington’s current State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) lists this native pigeon as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s Priority Habitat and Species Program includes the Band-tailed Pigeon as a Priority Species.

From Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s webpage about this native pigeon (Pacific coast band-tailed pigeon | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife):

“During late spring of 2020, WDFW biologists began a project designed to track pigeon movements and use of select mineral springs. Mineral springs provide important minerals for pigeon digestion. Biologists captured and banded a total of 16 birds in coastal Washington. Birds received a federal band plus a colored/numbered band. Newly identified springs will be added to existing sites for monitoring along coastal and interior portions of the Olympic Peninsula. Future plans for this project include capturing additional pigeons, equipping them with GPS transmitters, and identifying their migration timing and winter use areas.”

Katie Soltysiak, Assistant District Biologist for WDFW’s North Puget Sound Region, will be banding these birds Skagit County and surrounding areas (and equip them with transmitters) for this study. She hopes to do this where the pigeons congregate at backyard bird feeders. If you have Band-tailed Pigeons coming to feeders at any time of year please contact : Katherine.Soltysiak@dfw.wa.gov (564-676-1437).

Photo credit: Band-tailed Pigeon by Paul Fenwick/Macaulay Library

AVIAN INFLUENZA AND BIRD FEEDERS, by Tim Manns

The H5N1 strain of avian influenza has infected and killed many birds and mammals in the United States, including Washington. At this writing in mid-January 2025, the U.S. has also seen 66 confirmed cases in human beings and one death. Because of H5N1’s particularly lethal effects on poultry, it is referred to as highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI. So far, reports of infected birds in the Skagit are not nearly as extensive as in 2022 when hundreds of Snow Geese succumbed. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reported H5N1 in two hunted Mallards in Skagit County in January 2025, in a Trumpeter Swan last November, and in a Snow Goose and Great Horned Owl in October (https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/diseases/bird-flu).

Among birds avian flu for the most part infects waterfowl and predatory birds. Of the thousands of birds testing positively for this flu, only a small percentage are songbirds, perhaps because of their infrequent mingling with waterfowl. This is relevant to the question of whether to take down bird feeders due to avian flu. Here’s what Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology has to say (Avian Influenza Outbreak: Should You Take Down Your Bird Feeders? | All About Birds):

“As of January 2025, there is no official recommendation for people to take down bird feeders because of the risk of avian influenza .... The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has updates and recommendations about H5N1 in humans.

“There has been widespread transmission of avian flu to wild bird species including waterfowl and raptors. The virus has also been found in mammals that prey on dead birds. However, transmission to songbirds and other typical feeder visitors has been low (about 3% of all cases reported in wild birds), although this may change with increased testing or changes to the virus. That means there is currently a low risk of an outbreak among wild songbirds, and no official recommendation to take down feeders unless you also keep domestic poultry, according to the National Wildlife Disease Program. We do always recommend that you clean bird feeders and birdbaths regularly as a way to keep many kinds of diseases at bay.”

The Washington Departments of Health and Agriculture have information about avian influenza in Washington with a focus on poultry flocks. Owners of backyard flocks should take measures to ensure separation of these flocks from wild birds.

Use this form to report a possible avian flu death of a wild bird to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/1550804e5fd743668049e06d5ad8836a

For links to additional information about avian influenza in wild and domesticated species, see the more detailed article in the January 2025 Conservation Notes on the Skagit Audubon website: Jan2025ConservationNotes.pdf.