Birds in Rhode Island found dead due to severe winter

© Robert Langham

Dead Canada goose.

Rhode Island's severe winter has proven deadly for waterfowl — primarily Canada geese — whose carcasses are being found across Rhode Island as the snow and ice start to melt, according to the Department of Environmental Management. Tides have also pushed them in along the shoreline.

The birds have died from malnutrition and starvation, said wildlife biologist Joshua Beuth, with the DEM Division of Fish and Wildlife. The die-off is atypical, attributable to this winter's persistent ice and snow cover; similar die-offs have occurred in Massachusetts and Connecticut, Beuth said.

"I went to several of the sites and took a look at the birds to confirm our belief of malnutrition and starvation," Beuth said. "There's very little muscle tissue; [they're] very emaciated and there are no other signs of trauma that would indicate any other cause of death."

Eagles, coyotes and other mammalian predators have been seen scavenging on the exposed dead waterfowl, he said. He received the first report in mid-February; they have picked up since then.

"With all the reports that I've had so far, the concrete number of birds is just over 100 now throughout the state," Beuth said.

That includes from Watch Hill to the Charlestown, South Kingstown and Narragansett beaches, Jamestown, Newport Harbor, and Bristol, among other locations, and in the area of some Newport estates.

"It's the whole south coast, and I had several reports up in Warwick and also Lincoln. It's been widespread, and the numbers have been anywhere from 2 birds to 20. I'm sure there were more in some areas that got taken out by the tide or out to sea."

Though the dead waterfowl are primarily Canada geese, Beuth said he received reports of dead mallards and black ducks; "fewer than 10 of each," he said.

"It's one of the relatively rare cases, especially around here. It requires the perfect set of conditions to happen in terms of prolonged snow and ice cover," he said.

"This year we had snow cover approaching 45 or 50 days on the areas where they traditionally feed," which includes large grassy fields, Beuth said.

"And we had ice cover in salt-water environments, so when we did have pretty solid ice cover it was all in shallow water where they'd be able to feed. So they were pushed to the deeper water environments where there is very little food available."

Beuth said anyone finding a number of dead waterfowl in one area can call his office at (401) 789-1636 or 789-0231.