A longtime favourite activity for visitors to the Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre has been walking among chickadees, which then fly down and land with expectations to be hand fed.
However, according to centre executive director Kim Hacker, that has been discouraged due to the risks of the H5N1 avian flu that gained prominence in 2022 as an emerging virus. Birds with H5N1 display symptoms of lethargy, an inability to fly and neurological signs.
“We first became aware of the avian flu two years ago and it came in the form of a notification from Canada Wildlife Service, which is a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada; they own the visitor centre and the land that Wye Marsh is set on,” said Hacker.
“They reached out to let us know… although it is most prevalent in shorebirds – swans, ducks, things of that nature – it can also be carried by songbirds.”
Through societal concerns in spreading COVID-19 via pathogens at that time, the wildlife centre implemented similar policies by removing the seed dispensers and advising visitors to refrain from hand-feeding songbirds.
“We thought it was going to be a short-term thing, so we didn't really do a lot of communication around it,” stated Hacker.
As news of the impact of H5N1 increased, including the decimation of poultry farms in Canada and infected cattle in the United States, worries increased for local populations of wildlife.
In November, a teen in British Columbia was infected by H5N1 and hospitalized. At least 65 confirmed cases were noted in the United States in 2024, mostly among farm workers.
Hacker said that the centre increased its messaging and scrutiny, setting up biosecurity protocols for bird handlers working with captive birds in the animal care department and pulling out of Project Feeder Watch.
“When it comes to the hand feeding of chickadees by our visitors, we're not patting people down when they come in,” said Hacker. “We're not actively policing, in part because we're a very small staff with a very big property.”
Staff have been told to inform visitors that there is a danger that the bird flu could pass to humans and to not feed the chickadees. Signage at the parking lot, main building, and access point for the trails have been established with similar communication.
“We quite often have people get very angry at us for telling them that they can't feed the chickadees,” said Hacker, “and my staff are just as heartbroken as our visitors are about not being able to do that – but just as anything else, we want to keep people safe. That's the reason for that mandate from CWS.”
As with COVID-19, Hacker advised residents that thorough hand-washing was best practice following contact interactions with birds.
“Clean your bird feeders regularly,” advised Hacker, “and if you're not prepared to do that, it's best not to put them out.”
Hacker asked residents who see birds that seem to be behaving unusually to attempt getting a photo or video to send to the wildlife centre where experienced staff can look into the matter.
In December, a Wye Marsh trumpeter swan named Charles died with its body sent out to determine the cause. Although an official reasoning hadn’t been announced due to a six-week timeframe for investigation, Hacker cited that H5N1 was considered a low-probability with power line contact being a more likely cause.
The Wye Marsh will host two events in upcoming weeks: the Marsh by Moonlight snowshoe series is set for the weekends of Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, as well as Feb. 7 and 8 where registrants can experience a 90-minute walk through the marsh followed by cedar tea around a fire; and Snowshoe Ecotours allow registrants a three-hour private tour for up to a party of six access to normally inaccessible areas of the marsh.
Hacker encouraged residents with further questions on the H5N1 avian flu or the facility’s winter programs to contact the Wye Marsh or visit the website.
