The Canadian Food Inspection Agency say avian influenza has been detected in additional poultry flocks in southern Alberta as well as in Saskatchewan.

Nearly 23 million birds have died as a highly pathogenic bird flu virus tears its way through farms and chicken yards. It has spread to at least 24 states in less than two months. One of the worst-hit states is Iowa, where more than 5 million birds died at an egg-laying facility in Osceola on March 31.

Ewart Eveleigh has lived in Hampden for more than 60 years and he’s never seen anything like this. Hundreds of turrs are dead or dying on the ice in White Bay. “The eagles were eating them,” Eveleigh said, adding the living ones are “groggy,” “cuddled together,” and appear too weak to fly away.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says the H5N1 bird flu was confirmed Tuesday in a non-commercial flock in southern Nova Scotia.

Zoos across North America are moving their birds indoors and away from people and wildlife as they try to protect them from the highly contagious and potentially deadly avian influenza. Penguins may be the only birds visitors to many zoos can see right now, because they already are kept inside and usually protected behind glass in their exhibits, making it harder for the bird flu to reach them.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed at an exhibition farm in Newfoundland, Canada. The OIE report identified the affected birds as “non-poultry including wild birds.” On the premises, there were 419 susceptible birds. Of those, 360 died and the remaining 59 were euthanized. A Canada goose died from avian influenza on in the Halifax area on February 2 (see related articles).