BROADKILL BEACH, Del. - Nearly a dozen dead snow geese have been found along Broadkill Beach, though officials have not confirmed an official cause for the deaths observed on the shoreline.
A DNREC spokesperson said the agency does not currently plan to test the birds, but is treating each case as if the geese were infected with avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.
"I didn’t see them at first," said a beachgoer who was walking dogs along the beach. “They’re dotting the beach up and down here. I would expect a dead fish, not dead birds." Another beachgoer, Eileen Callery, said the sight was unsettling. “It’s a concern for the dogs and the people, and really the whole ecosystem here,” Callery said. “It’s a very upsetting event to see.”
State officials are urging residents, hunters and beachgoers to report sightings of sick or dead wild birds.
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said a sick snow goose collected Dec. 8 in eastern Kent County tested presumptively positive for H5 avian influenza. State officials are urging residents, hunters and beachgoers to report sightings of sick or dead wild birds, particularly snow geese and ducks, and to avoid handling them.