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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Abundance of "Oyster Pickers" Black Oystercatchers (Haematopus bachmani)
"I learned from a community member that they haven't seen these type of birds here within town, they usually see them on the islands that surround our cove. With the warming temps. people have noticed more and more different types of birds showing up in our community."
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Ice of Change - Amid Waterfowl Sightings
No sea ice; hunters say it should not be like this today.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

Early American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Sighting
A robin was sighted in southcentral Alaska; an early arrival.
Port Graham, Alaska, United States

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) travel corridor along Flambeau River

What Type of Bird? King Eider (Somateria spectabilis)
Unknown bird sighted on the Alaskan Peninsula.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Unusual Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella)
Are the difference species of bird ecosystems failing or in the process of change?
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States
Kathy Kuletz, Angela Johnson, Julia Parrish

Dead Crested Auklet (Aethia cristatella)
Dead Crested auklet observed near the southwest end of the Alaska Peninsula.
King Cove, Alaska, United States
Kathy Kuletz, Dorothea Berntsen, Julia Parrish

Dead Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
We are unsure how the eagle died.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

December Blossoms of Japanese Flowering Cherry (Prunus subhirtella)
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)
Never seen anything like that in before.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Kachemak Bay has seen massive die-offs of sea stars and other species. What’s going on?
Kachemak Bay has witnessed massive die-offs of sea stars, murres and razor clams. Whats going on?
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Dead Puffins
Over 100 dead puffins, mostly tufted, have been found in Saint George, Alaska.
Saint George, Alaska, United States

Unusual Mortality of Tufted and Horned Puffins (Fratercula cirrhata and Fratercula corniculata)
Several ill or dead tufted and horned puffins were found on the shores of St. Paul Island.
Saint Paul, Alaska, United States
Lisa Tran, Aaron Lestenkof, Pamela Lestenkof, Julia Parrish, Lauren Divine, Paul Melovidov, Barbara Bodenstein, Hillary Burgess, Karin Holser

A Flock of Parrots (Parakeets?) in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas, United States

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) Mortality
Died on beach.
Seldovia Village, Alaska, United States

Septembers Are Changing in Lower Kalskag
Unusually rainy year for Lower Kalskag this year.
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, United States

Rare Sighting of Fork-tailed Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma furcata)
Never seen before in area.
Grayling, Alaska, United States
Moses Tcheripanoff, Kathy Kuletz, Bernice Nicholi

Subsistence Harvest Comes Early
Silver salmon, Brant geese and berries.
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States

Ruffed Grouse
Never seen a grouse this size.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Anidación de bobo patas azules en Isla San Jerónimo, Baja California
Blue-footed booby nesting on San Jeronimo Island.
Isla San Jerónimo, B.C., Mexico
Yutzil Lora Cabrera, Margarita Delgadillo A., Alejandra Fabila-Blanco, María Félix-Lizárraga

Gran Grupo De Colibríes

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on Great Bear Lake
Bird sighted far north of normal migratory range.
Deliné Waterdome, Northwest Territories, Canada
Suzanne Carriere, Brian Sieben, Edward Reeves

Giant Flock of Bohemian Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus)
Earlier and more abundant then normal.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Aguila solitaria (Buteogallus solitarius) avistada fuera de su rango de distribución en Mazatlán, Sinaloa
Isla Pájaros

Shearwater (genus Ardenna) Die-off
Large shearwater die-off at a Pilot Point beach.
Pilot Point, Alaska, United States
Robb Kaler, Kathy Kuletz, Julia Parrish, Gregory Kingsley

Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) In Cottonwood Tree
Dove in Cottonwood Tree
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
Jaclyn Christensen, Beth Paluso, Julia Parrish

Early Breakup Causing Lots of Change
Early breakup brings early arrivals.
Lower Kalskag, Alaska, United States

Global warming winners? North Slope brant thriving amid changes
Climate-induced habitat changes on Alaska's North Slope such as coastal erosion and permafrost thaw have produced more food for migrating brant, a study says.
North Slope, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Ravens (Corvus corax) Are Scarce This Spring
Resident Ravens Disappeared in Early April
Dillingham, Alaska, United States

Mange grågås (greylag geese - Anser anser) på Spildra
Many Greylag Goose on Spildra, Norway
Spildra, Kvænangen, Norway

Unusual Bird (lxoreus naevius) on Lake Iliamna
Identified as a male Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)
Kokhanok, Alaska, United States

West Coast Harmful Algal Bloom
Over the past few months, a massive toxic bloom of the marine diatom *Pseudo-nitzschia*, stretching from central California to the Alaska Peninsula, has resulted in significant impacts to coastal resources and marine life. NOAA has been working closely with federal, state, tribal, academic, and other partners to respond to this unprecedented harmful algal bloom (HAB).
Pacific Ocean, Northern to East Coasts
National Ocean Service (NOAA)

Unusual Bird (Lanius excubitor) Sighting
Identification pending.
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Band-tailed Pigeon - Lower Mainland BC
South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Early Spring / Early Waterfowl
Early spring and early waterfowl
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States

Dead Murres At Boat Harbor
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) with Elongated Bill
A mysterious condition continues to inflict some Alaska birds
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Dead Birds On Spit Beach
Residents concern over die-offs persist
Sand Point, Alaska, United States

Hummingbird Sightings on the Sunshine Coast
Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

Fish and Game look to round up invasive starlings
The Department of Fish and Game plans to trap a flock of birds not native to Alaska that is trying to move in. The agency says starlings could cause big problems for humans and other birds native to the area. They want to get rid of the flock before their numbers grow.
Homer, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Dead Murres (Uria aalge)
Sea bird mortality observed on southeast end of Homer Spit
Homer, Alaska, United States

Common Murres (Uria aalge) Sighted On Iliamna
Common murre sightings; a concern for the predatory and scavenger bird numbers
Kokhanok, Alaska, United States

Woodpecker (Picoides pubescenc) In Coastal Southwest
A woodpecker never seen before.
Goodnews Bay, Alaska, United States

Dead Porpoise and Birds
A dead porpoise and eight seabirds found along shoreline
Haines, Alaska, United States

Dead Murres (Uria aalge)
More reports of dead Murres observed in the Bristol Bay region.
Port Graham, Alaska, United States

Common murre (Uria aalge) in Anchorage
Murres have had a tough year due likely to the Blob effect of warm water and (potentially) displacement of food resources. Many murres have been reported that are sick or starving.

Grounded Murres (Uria aalge)
Flocks of Common Murres were seen flying overhead, along with dying and grounded birds scampering around the Fish Lake area, just to the southeast foothills of Mount Yealo in the Susitna Valley.
Mount Yealo, Alaska, United States

Common Murre (Uria aalge) Stranding
Wayward Murre
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Winter Storm Grounds Birds
Winter storm grounds birds along the shores of Iliamna Lake.
Iliamna, Alaska, United States

Good Year for Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)
Good year for Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta)
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Migratory Birds In December
Ducks were fly north along shoreline of Kivalina
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Dead Murres (Uria aalge)
Murre die-off in Seldovia continuing.
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Seabird Deaths
A large number of bird die-offs
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

Late Sea Ice Freeze Bring Together Seals and Caribou
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Blue Heron near Humpback Bay
Perryville, Alaska, United States

Presencia de águila calva (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) en Isla Santa Margarita e Isla Magdalena
Puerto Alcatraz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
Yutzil Lora Cabrera, Margarita Delgadillo A., María Félix-Lizárraga, Norma Castillo

Seabird Deaths
Sea bird deaths
Seldovia, Alaska, United States

More Murre Deaths (Uria aalge)
Dead murres on beach
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States
Caroline Van Hemert, Barbara Bodenstein, Christopher Anahonak

Murre die-off reported around Kodiak
Kodiak Island residents have been reporting a large number of common murres washing up dead on local beaches.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Poor Bird Fledgling
Poor seabird chick fledging rates
St. George, Alaska, United States

Dead Seabirds
Dead seabirds found in Goodnews Bay.
Goodnews Bay, Alaska, United States
Alice Julius, Arlene Shimanek, Barbara Bodenstein

Dead Birds - Murres (Uria aalge)
Murre deaths reported along the shore of Nanwalek.
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States

Dead Birds (Cepphus columba) In Harbor
Dead birds in harbor

Dead Birds On McDonald's Spit
Dead birds on beach

Dead Birds - Seagulls and Magpies
Dead seagulls and magpies

Dead Birds - Seagulls, Puffins, Murres
Dead seagulls, puffins, murres
King Cove, Alaska, United States

Unusual Swallow Species
Unusual swallow species
Noorvik, Alaska, United States

Sighting of White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)
White-winged crossbill
Diomede, Alaska, Unites States

Abandono de nidos de Pelícano cafe
Isla Coronado, Baja California, Mexico
Yutzil Lora Cabrera, Jesus Miguel Corrales Sauceda

Visiting Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis)
We have never had cranes stop in here before. Something has changed that these migratory birds are stopping here.

Urban Canada Geese (Branta canadensis)
5/2/15 Urban Canada goose - King Cove, Alaska, USA
King Cove, Alaska, USA

The Blob: Why warmer oceans are a big concern
Warm water threatens marine habitats off the coast of BC
Northeast Pacific Ocean
Sooke News Mirror

Dead Black-capped (Parus atricapillus) Chickadee
The bird was flying and just dropped dead.
St. Marys, Alaska, United States

Early Waterfowl
4/16/15 Early waterfowl - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

The warm ‘blob’ in Canada’s Pacific Ocean
Last year, 2014, was the hottest year ever recorded on Earth. Unlike other worldwide problems from which Canadians might feel relatively safe and isolated, but Canada is actually ground zero of global climate.
Gulf of Alaska / Northeast Pacific
Times Colonist

Early Song Birds
3/18/15 Early songbirds - Haines, Alaska, USA
Haines, Alaska, United States

Thousands of small seabirds wash up on West Coast in die-off mystery
Scientists are trying to determine why thousands of tiny seabirds called Cassin's auklets have washed up on the West Coast, all the way from B.C. to California.
Long Beach, Pacific Rim National Park
CBC News

Pine grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)
Pine grosbeak
Nome, Alaska, United States

Bethel Receives an Unusual Winter Visitor – A Robin
A rare winter robin has been spotted in Bethel and it has folks wondering what exactly it means. Locals and a biologist say they think it has to do with climate change.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Sighted - Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
9-04-15 Swainson's thrush - Wales, Alaska, USA
Wales, Alaska, United States
Beth Paluso, Brit Oxereok, Dean Stockwell

Arctic Loon?
The bird is not commonly seen in the Teller area.
Teller, Alaska, United States

Laysan albatross chicken die-off linked to Santa Ana winds
Laysan albatross chickens died from causes related to abnormal Santa Ana winds
Campamento Sur, Baja California, Mexico
Daniela Munguía, Julio Montoya, Yutzil Lora Cabrera

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta caradensis) with Elongated Bill
An intense bundle of energy at your feeder, Red-breasted Nuthatches are tiny, active birds of north woods and western mountains.

Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) Sighting
Rare Layson Albatross (*Phoebastria immutabilis*) sighting.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Advisory - Avian cholera
Hundreds of birds washed up on the shores of St. Lawrence Island.
St. Lawrence Island, Alaska, USA

Dead Seabirds
11-6-13 Dead seabirds - Nanwalek, Alaska. USA
Nanwalek, Alaska, United States

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
On my way home for a lunch break, I noticed a different type of bird that I have ever seen before.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Bald Eagle with Facial Abnormality
6-6-13 Bald eagle with facial abnormality. King Salmon, Alaska, USA
King Salmon, Alaska, United States

Erosion Disrupts Swallows
6-3-13 Erosion disrupts swallows - Evansville, Alaska, USA
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Low Number of Birds
6-2-13 Low number of birds - Golovin, Alaska, USA
Golovin, Alaska, United States

First Horned Grebes Settle in Reykjavík Pond
Two horned grebes have settled in Reykjavík Pond in the city centre, RÚV reports. It is the first time the species is found nesting at the location. At the turn of the century, the horned grebe population was placed on a watchlist due to its decline, but it seems to have made a recovery since. […]
Hafnarfjordur, Capital Region, Iceland
Iceland Review

Cold Arrival for Canada Geese
4-23-13 Cold arrival for Canada geese - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Buggy ptarmigan
3-13-13 Buggy ptarmigan - Noatak, Alaska, USA
Noatak, Alaska, USA

Worms (Splendidofilaria pectoralis) in Grouse and Ptarmigan
Species of nematode *Splendidofilaria pectoralis* has been described in blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus pallidus) in British Columbia, but never as far north and west as Unalakleet.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States
Victoria Kotongan, Caroline Van Hemert, Todd O'Hara

Bird experts aflutter over drop in rufous hummingbird numbers
The number of rufous hummingbirds visiting southern Vancouver Island over the summer is dropping and the cause may be climate change, says a local bird expert.
Central Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Uruguay trying to determine the death cause of 600 Magellan penguins
Authorities in Uruguay say they have found about 600 dead penguins washed up on the Atlantic coast since Saturday. Experts are trying to determine what has killed the sea birds.
Piriápolis, Maldonado, Uruguay
MercoPress

Bugs on Geese
Beetles seen moving around on geese
Wainwright, Alaska, United States
Jessie Moan, Linda Agnasagga, Heather Dingman

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) off Southern Vancouver Island, Canada
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada

Brown Pelicans In BC Waters
Two Brown Pelicans were spotted off the Discovery Islands near Victoria on May 12. This species of pelican is familiar to anyone who has travelled to the beaches of Mexico, Caribbean or southern USA.
Discovery Island, Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Invasion of the Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
In the past four years or so, a new species of bird has arrived in British Columbia. The Eurasian collared dove is an attractive bird sporting pale grey plumage with a thin black ‘collar’ of feathers around its hind neck.
British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Dead penguins and oil covered found on Uruguayan beaches
Dozens of dead penguins and others alive but with traces of oil appeared over the weekend along the east of Uruguay according to a marine life conservation non government organization.
El Delta del Río de la Plata
MercoPress

Startling starling numbers appear in bird count
Local birders who participated in the recent 2005 Anchorage Christmas Bird Count noted a sharp increase in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), a sometimes aggressive species that's relatively new to Alaska.
Anchorage Daily News

Canada's AG warns Nunavut about dangers of not having a climate change action plan
Nunavut is not prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change and doesn't have a plan to deal with them, according to the latest report by Canada's auditor general.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
CBC News

Are ills of the Arctic hitting California? Hundreds of migratory seabirds wash ashore
Over the last two years, more than 500 northern fulmars were found sick or dead along the Sonoma and Mendocino coasts. What is ailing these seabirds?
Bodega Bay, California, United States
Los Angeles Times

Fatal songbird illness reported in North Carolina. Don't touch dead birds, state says
The mysterious eye illness that has been killing songbirds in mid Atlantic states have moved into North Carolina, the NC Wildlife Resources Commission reports.
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Charlotte Observer

Eagle in Bay View dies, was showing symptoms of Bird Flu
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
YouTube

Black-crowned night herons spotted on St Kilda
Droughts in continental Europe are a possible cause for sightings of a Mediterranean bird in Britain and Ireland, say ornithologists.
St. Kilda, Scotland, UK
BBC News

Alberta confirms 5 cases of avian flu spreading to mammals
"We had an unusually large number of calls about skunks that were acting strange or being found dead and it was all within the area where we had confirmed that the avian influenza virus was present in the snow geese," Dr. Margo Pybus, a provincial wildlife disease specialist with Fish and Wildlife Alberta Environment and Parks, said. "We believe that the skunks are feeding on the dead geese and they are getting enough virus that it’s actually affecting the skunks."
Innisfail, Alberta, Canada
Global News

'Huge losses' of Scottish seabirds due to avian flu
Scottish seabirds, including guillemots, kittiwakes, and terns, have experienced significant losses due to avian flu, with 2,300 sick and dead birds reported in a two-week period, and it is expected to take years for populations to recover.
Forvie National Nature Reserve, Newburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Seabirds dying of malnutrition in the sea north of Iceland, changing ocean conditions to blame
Unusually high numbers of dead seabirds have been found washed ashore on the beaches of North Iceland in the past months. A biologist who spoke to the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV said malnutrition and lack of feed for the birds were the most likely explanations.
Skagaströnd, Northwest, Iceland
Icelandmag

Dead Antarctic Petrel at Svarthamaren
In 1984, there were more than 400,000 Antarctic petrel in the bird cliff. By 2020, the population was shrinking to less than 100,000. This year, there were none.
Svarthamaren
NRK

Hours of work to clean a single swan after Marco Polo oil spill
50 cubic metres of oil is estimated to have been released into the Baltic Sea, after a passenger ferry ran aground just off the coast of Blekinge in south-eastern ...
Karlskrona, Blekinge, Sweden

Black vultures are descending on Hershey. Residents want them gone.
Hundreds of black vultures have descended on Hershey. Residents want them gone. As they reach new habitats, the vultures’ destructive habits are creating problems in many Pennsylvania communities.
Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Bird flu continues to spread across the state
Bird Flu cases continue to rise in Alaska and are spreading across the state. Note: in Anchorage this has included two bald eagles and four Canada goose.

Cambodia tests more people for bird flu after death of 11-year-old girl
Cambodia has tested at least 12 people for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, the health ministry said, after an 11-year-old girl died this week from the virus in the first known transmission to humans in the country in nearly a decade.
Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Reuters

Avian flu virus found in wild duck in Fairbanks is a danger to domestic fowl
Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists collected the sample containing Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N2 virus, or HPAI, from a mallard during a routine bird-banding activity. The HPAI virus is not considered a threat to humans, Alaska officials said.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Anchorage’s white raven achieves celebrity status, inspiring art, lore and adulation
Biologists say the white raven is a genuinely uncommon creature. It’s not albino, but leucistic, evidenced by its sky-blue eyes. Given its rarity, it’s likely the same white raven that was first spotted on the Kenai Peninsula this summer.An “Anchorage White Raven Spottings” Facebook group has amassed close to 13,000 followers.
Anchorage Daily News

Great white egret attracts attention in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut
Egrets are more usually spotted in the Everglades or on the Pacific coast so the presence of this egret immediately attracted local photographers, including Bernice Sandy, who took many photos of the unusual bird.
Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

More than 20 ptarmigan allegedly wasted near Yellowknife
In the wake significant caribou wastage late last month along the Tibbitt to Contwoyto winter road, there is another instance of what appears to be wastage related to ptarmigan. Yellowknife resident Brad Olson shared a social media post earlier this month showing what appears to be almost two dozen birds killed and left to rot.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
NNSL Media

Over 1,300 Trumpeter Swans touch down in M'Clintock Bay, Yukon
The loudest sign of spring in southern Yukon is the return of the trumpeter swans. Thousands take a rest and refuel in M'Clintock Bay. As the CBC's Cheryl Kawaja reports, this year, they're about a week ahead of schedule.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Extremely rare visitor: Black Vulture spotted in Burgeo
A very unusual visitor has been spotted in Burgeo, and the Black Vulture is causing a stir among birdwatchers, who believe it may have been blown to Newfoundland by strong winds.
Burgeo, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
CBC

Avian influenza case detected in wild goose in Halifax area
The Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources says it was a Canada goose. When found in Grand Désert, the wild goose had the H5N1 strain of influenza and was showing symptoms. She died 24 hours later.
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Radio-Canada.ca

Wildlife officials investigate mass die-off of snow geese in western Nunavut
It's not the first time snow geese have died in large numbers in western Nunavut. The cause of this event is under investigation, but overpopulation could have played a role, says the Canadian Wildlife Service.

Dead skunks in Larimer County test positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza
Thirteen of the state's 14 confirmed mammal deaths have occurred in the past month.
Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Fort Collins Coloradoan

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