Avian Influenza in Connecticut: What we know, what you should do
Waterfowl such as Mallards seem to be susceptible to avian influenza.
February 3, 2025—People throughout Connecticut are becoming more concerned with avian flu. The information here is what we’ve learned from government agencies and other organizations. It’s subject to change as the situation changes.
Avian influenza is infecting wild birds, domestic birds, and captive birds in Connecticut and beyond, and has been doing so since 2022. Songbirds, however, do not seem particularly vulnerable to the outbreak and indications are that it is generally fine to continue to feed backyard birds.
Domestic poultry, including backyard flocks, and captive birds (at zoos, for example) are at high risk.
Wild waterfowl, shorebirds, and raptors also seem to be at high risk.
Songbirds or passerines/perching birds are not as vulnerable. However, they are not immune, and birds can carry the virus without showing symptoms of being sick.
No agency that we know of has recommended that you stop feeding backyard birds unless you also keep backyard poultry. You should clean your bird feeders and birdbaths regularly at all times as a way to reduce pathogens.
For information about bird flu in humans, visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Pets, such as dogs and cats can be infected when exposed to sick birds. There’s more information on the Massachusetts state website.
As of January 31 in the U.S., there have been 10,014 confirmed detections of avian influenza in wild birds; 318 of those have been songbirds, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Many dead birds are never found or reported, so the actual numbers are of course higher.
Cornell also reported, “Avian influenza does not affect all types of birds equally. For example, waterfowl often carry and transmit bird flu, and with the current strain they sometimes get sick or die. Raptors are much more sensitive to the disease. Domestic poultry are extremely susceptible to HPAI and spread the disease easily, leading to up to 100% mortality of affected flocks.
“Songbirds are much less likely than waterfowl to contract avian influenza and less likely to shed large amounts of virus, meaning they do not transmit the disease easily.”
See “Avian Influenza Outbreak: Should You Take Down Your Bird Feeders?” on Cornell’s Allaboutbirds.org website.
Staff from the Connecticut departments of Energy and Environmental Protection, Agriculture, and Public Health meet once or twice a week to discuss the current status in the state. They are collaborating on a fact sheet that should be available soon.
CT Insider reported on February 2 that Laurie Fortin of the CT DEEP wrote last week to wildlife rehabilitators in the state:
” ‘This is a cold-loving virus, so things will improve, but it is going to take several months for this virus to run its course,’ Fortin wrote. ‘In the meantime, the goal is really to reduce the opportunity for transmissions to occur by wearing PPE, practicing good bio-security protocols and getting infected birds out of the environment/food chain when/if it is safe to do so.’
“Fortin reported recent waterfowl deaths in Norwich, Woodbury, Guilford, Branford, Stonington, Vernon, Meriden, Wallingford, Old Saybrook, Putnam, Newington and Easton.”
The CT DEEP is not testing individual songbirds or backyard birds.
On its webpage, the department says, “DEEP will primarily focus on … large numbers of birds. At this time, we will not routinely be testing individual birds that are found dead – especially if they are backyard birds – robins, sparrows, pigeons, cardinals, etc. – which are not considered to be highly susceptible to Bird Flu.”
Although it is not routinely testing dead songbirds, the DEEP still wants to know if you find them. Report dead birds of all kinds in Connecticut to the Wild Bird Mortality Database.
You can find detailed information about what to do if you find a dead bird here.
The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service maintains a registry of confirmed cases in wild birds.
For information about avian influenza in poultry, click here.
