JACKSON, Wyo. — Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has asked everyone, especially landowners to report dead sage grouse to WGFD so the birds can be tested for West Nile Virus.
While there have been no signs of an outbreak, Game and Fish asks the public annually for reports to help manage the state’s sage grouse populations. West Nile virus is spread through mosquitos, and research shows sage grouse have a low resistance to the virus, and can usually can fatal to the birds. Evidence of the disease has been reported in past years in northeast Wyoming and in surrounding states.
Nyssa Whitford, the WGFD’s sage grouse/sagebrush biologist, said that while this spring started out wet, the summer has been drier and less favorable for mosquitoes.
“We are particularly interested in sage grouse found in remote areas that have no obvious injuries that might have resulted in their death. These may occur near water holes or hay fields on private lands,” Whitford said
Obvious roadkill does not need to be reported but the need to report to report the grouse quickly is crucial, so they don’t deteriorate to the point where they can no longer be tested.
WGFD advises the public to help reduce the risk of West Nile Virus by eliminating standing water in small receptacles — like flower pots, discarded tires, small plastic swimming pools and wheelbarrows — where mosquitoes tend to breed.
