Michigan Radio | ByLester Graham

Published June 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM EDT

https://www.michiganradio.org/environment-climate-change/2022-06-29/bird-flu-has-killed-nearly-1-500-threatened-caspian-terns-on-lake-michigan-islands

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LISTEN•4:36

Wildlife biologists are finding whole colonies of birds dead or dying on islands in Lake Michigan. They’s Caspian terns, whichare listedas threatened in Michigan and endangered in Wisconsin.

“Caspian terns are magnificent birds. They’ve got that striking black cap and they fly along, looking down at the water while they fly and then suddenly plunge into the water to catch fish. They’re exciting to watch,” said Lisa Williams, a contaminants specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

In recent years, the bird’s population has been growing. In 2018 it peaked at about 10,000 Caspian terns in the Great Lakes region. Then high water levels made nesting…