PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 14, 2025
The current outbreak of avian influenza has been making a lot of headlines. Gulls are being hit hard locally. We observed this in 2022 when hundreds of dead gulls were found on nesting islands. The Greater Portland Christmas Bird Count in mid-December saw the lowest total of both American herring gulls and great black-backed gulls in the history of the count: 1,055 American herring gulls and 78 great black-backed gulls, way down from record highs of 12,773 and 893. The “backyard birds,” like chickadees and woodpeckers, are very unlikely to contract avian influenza, so there is no need to stop feeding those birds. Think about the things you can do to help birds around your yard, be it during an avian influenza outbreak or not. Keep your cats indoors, treat your windows to break up reflections and reduce strikes, support the next generation of birds with native plants. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox