Date: 11/10/25 6:54 am From: 'Buckardt, Anna' via IA-BIRD <ia-bird...> Subject: Re: [ia-bird] Question/Observation Jasper County
Hi All,
Good question from Chris.
I'm the avian ecologist for the Iowa DNR and I work closely with our state
wildlife veterinarian. Red-tailed hawks and other raptors are highly
susceptible to avian influenza. We have collected and tested many
red-tailed hawk carcasses over the last couple of years and in most cases,
we are finding they have died of avian influenza. These birds likely prey
on infected birds or mammals and then they themselves get sick and die. We
do not yet have good information on the population impact of highly
pathogenic avian influenza on red-tailed hawks, but we do know that they
are one of the most common species we receive for HPAI testing (and are
often positive) and there seems to be fewer of them around lately, and
these two facts are likely linked. We do also test birds for rodenticides,
and there are some cases that confirm that risk as well, but by far and
away, the red-tailed hawks we receive have died of avian influenza.
> Raptors have intimate contact with birds infected with avian flu, as the
> sick members of a flock are more likely to be preyed upon.
>
> Matt Kenne
>
> Algona, Iowa
>
>
> On 2025-11-08 10:07 am, 'Christopher Knisley' via IA-BIRD wrote:
>
> I’m wondering if our Red-tailed Hawks have succumbed to either the avian
> flu or led poisoning. In the past 11 years I’ve lived in Jasper County I
> have never seen so few. Is this happening in other areas of the state too?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> Chris Knisley
> 611 Blake St.
> Colfax, IA. 50054-1708
> Cell (515) 556-6923
>
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