State DEC warns against contact with dead or sick birds on Long Island

The State Department of Environmental Conservation is warning the public against contact with dead or sick birds on Long Island, after receiving “numerous reports of dead or sick waterfowl throughout Long Island… and along the Peconic Bay.”

The public should strongly consider that groups of birds found deceased were infected with H5N1 avian influenza, which is highly contagious and deadly among wild birds and poultry. People should follow CDC safety protocols to reduce contact, the DEC said today. See:Current Situation: Bird Flu in Humans | Bird Flu | CDC.

Local residents are reporting sick and dying Canada geese on Peconic Bay beaches and on and around Merritts Pond in Riverhead.

“There are a number of Canada geese that have died and their bodies are on the ice,” said Karen Wulffraat, whose house is on Merritts Pond.

DEC investigators collected three birds in the Jamesport on Feb. 16 area to undergo testing for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

The DEC currently does not have any confirmed HPAI detections on the North Fork of Long Island during the 2025-2026 HPAI season, the Region One office said today. “However, this does not mean there are not HPAI mortalities in wild birds in the area,” the agency said.

There have been widespread reports of hundreds of dead or sick wild birds in New Jersey, where the state Department of Environmental Protection said over 1,100 dead or sick wild birds were reported last weekend alone.

HPAI continues to infect birds and mammals across the U.S. and Canada, including New York State. HPAI is carried by free-flying waterfowl and other waterbirds, such as ducks, geese, and shorebirds, but can also infect domestic poultry, raptors, corvids, and mammals.

DEC’s Wildlife Health Program is monitoring the spread and impact of HPAI throughout the state and has an online reporting tool the public can use to report suspected HPAI mortalities:NYSDEC Avian Influenza Reporting Form. Updates on HPAI can be found on theCornell Wildlife Health Lab website.

“There is no way to contain HPAI infection in wild birds,” DEC said. “Be aware that the clinical signs for HPAI infection in wildlife are nonspecific and may be similar to other diseases or injuries. Waterfowl, waterbirds, raptors, and scavenging birds are at higher risk of infection, but any species could potentially be infected, including mammals.”

Source: RiverheadLOCAL