Audublog

Outbreak of avian cholera kills 150 ducks in Redwood City

Sadly,  a pond popular with ducks is experiencing an outbreak of avian cholera that has led to the death of around 150 birds. According to a story on the Redwood City-Woodside Patch:

Citing a serious threat to wildlife, the South Bayside System Authority (SBSA) wastewater facility in Redwood City will drain its popular bird-watching pond beginning Friday because an apparent outbreak of avian cholera has killed nearly 150 ducks since Friday, January 3.

A U.S. Fish & Wildlife official is reporting news of avian cholera in Hayward and now, possibly in Redwood City. At this time the cause of the ducks death at the Radio Road site has not been confirmed but is suspected to be the spread of avian cholera from the East Bay ...

The popular SBSA “pond” that greets visitors to the plant at 1400 Radio Road, Redwood City – at the southeast end of Redwood Shores – is technically called a landscape impoundment. It was created in 1998 on the west side of the treatment plant to eliminate dust from the dry barren dirt in the area.

Fish & Wildlife officials are asking birders to report any sightings of ten or more dead birds to cheryl_strong@fws.gov or rachel_tertes@fws.gov.

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