CaspianternsRatIsland1 (IMAGE)

Washington State University

CaspianternsRatIsland1

Caption

The avian flu killed 1,101 adult Caspian terns and 520 chicks in 2023 in a large breeding colony on Rat Island in Washington state. Researchers estimate that as much as 10-14% of terns in the entire Pacific flyway have been lost to the virus.

Credit

Scott Pearson, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

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