Environment

Oregon wildlife officials report growing numbers of waterfowl with bird flu across the Willamette Valley

KLCC | By Brian Bull

Published November 12, 2026 at 4:07 PM PST

A flock of Cackling geese fly out from the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area on October 10, 2021. One goose has a yellow neck band, which indicates it's used by biologists to study it for management purposes.

Officials with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife say migratory ducks and geese are showing signs of highly-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI.) And the majority are being reported in the Willamette Valley.

Julia Burco is a veterinarian with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. She told KLCC that an HPAI-infected bird may be lethargic, unable to fly, shake its head, swim in circles, or have cloudy eyes.

“They’re pretty non-responsive,” she added. Burco said, so far, her staff have fielded calls and emails for hundreds of infected or dead birds. Most of the affected waterfowl are the Cackling goose, a relative of the Canada goose. HPAI-infected birds may appear in unusual areas, including people’s yards or streets.

Dead goose in body of water. — A dead goose — possibly a Cackle goose — lies in an Oregon waterway. It was sent by an anonymous observer who's helping track the spread of HPAI across the state.

“If there's a dead one and it needs to be removed from the area, we do suggest people not touch it directly,” said Burco. “Wear a mask and gloves when doing so. So those can be double-bagged and either put in the garbage, they can be incinerated. If you don't need to touch it, we'd advise not touching it.”

People are encouraged to report groups of dead birds, but not to bring them in. The public can report these to the ODFW lab by calling (866)968-2600 or emailing them at wildlife.health@odfw.oregon.gov. They add that given the high volume of reports, lab staff may not be able to call people back.

While the risk to humans is low, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there have been 74 U.S. cases of people with avian influenza, and three deaths.

“The have been a few mortalities, and that's the people that have close contact with infected animals,” Burco explained. “And they're immunocompromised or have some medical issues going on.”

People who handle birds in cattle or poultry processing plants are potentially at risk. And pets like cats and dogs could get infected if they eat the carcass of an HPAI-infected bird.

The ODFW says people should immediately report dead or sick domestic birds such as chickens and turkeys to the Oregon Department of Agriculture by calling (503)986-4711 or (800)347-7028.