SALT LAKE CITY — Utah wildlife officials estimate 15,000 to 25,000 eared grebes have died in recent months from a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak across the Great Salt Lake, causing dead birds to pile up throughout the vital bird habitat.
State wildlife biologists began detecting bird flu cases in the area in November 2024, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources spokeswoman Faith Heaton Jolley confirmed to KSL on Friday. A few of the carcasses were collected and sent to a lab for testing, which confirmed the presence of influenza. The vast majority of dead birds found from Box Elder to Salt Lake counties are suspected cases.
Eared grebes account for a large chunk of the 10 million to 12 million migratory birds that utilize the Great Salt Lake every year. Despite the large number of deaths, Jolley said that the flu outbreak “should not have a significant impact” on the estimated 4 million eared grebes that migrate through the region every year.
KSL had received a tip from a woman who had reported seeing “hundreds” of dead birds in different stages of decomposition while visiting the Great Saltair on Thursday. Wildlife biologists said they weren’t surprised, given the outbreak.
“The salinity of the Great Salt Lake almost ‘pickles’ the carcasses, so they don’t decompose or get scavenged like they would in a normal nonsalt water environment,” Jolley said. “The birds will likely continue to wash ashore in the coming months.”
She added that people who see a group of five dead birds or more should not pick up the birds and instead report it to their nearest Utah Division of Wildlife Resources office.
The bird flu outbreak has ravaged the country in different waves since it was discovered in South Carolina in early 2022, mostly spreading through wild birds. The recent Great Salt Lake cases were first discovered about the same time another strong wave was reported in Utah, forcing 1.8 million Cache County chickens to be culled in October as it spread to farms.
Over 100,000 turkeys were depopulated in Piute County in November, as well. The recent Great Salt Lake outbreak also follows a similar episode that killed off 10,000 to 20,000 Great Salt Lake shorebirds in 2023.
“High pathogenic avian influenza viruses are very contagious among birds and can cause rapid and high mortality,” Jolley explained, pointing out that domestic birds, waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and scavengers are the most commonly impacted species.
Egg prices have also skyrocketed nationwide because of the latest bird flu wave.
Experts point out that human risks of bird flu are still low, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there have been 67 confirmed human cases over the past year, including one death.
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