I recently captured some images of a Canada Goose with a nasty Avian Pox infection on its head. One of our readers, Glen Fox, was able to identify the infection as Avian Pox, and suggested that I report the bird to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge.
I reported the Canada Goose and received a prompt reply from the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) this morning. The organization wanted to know the last time I had seen the goose, and to confirm its location. Their plan was to work with wildlife conservation groups in the area to see if the goose could be retrieved and treated.
I drove down to Grimsby Harbour this morning but did not spot the goose. I spoke to a couple of birdwatchers who confirmed that they had seen the goose this morning. I forwarded this updated information to the folks at CWHC.
Avian Pox appears worldwide except in the Arctic and Antarctica and is most common in warmer climates. The goose I saw appears to have the wet form of Avian Pox.
It is certainly distressing to see a bird or other wildlife in trouble. We can do our part to support wildlife by documenting the animal’s condition and reporting it promptly to appropriate organizations. Often the bird or animal can be rehabilitated. In some cases it needs to be culled to help prevent further infections and outbreaks.
As photographers who love nature we can play an important role to document and report apparent illnesses, or the finding of dead birds and other animals in natural settings. This information can help conservation groups protect wildlife.
Technical Note
Photographs were captured handheld with the camera equipment noted in the EXIF data. All images were created from RAW files using my standard process. This is the 1,368 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.
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