Impact Injury in Waterfowl

Disease Summary

Alternative Names (Synonyms)

• Flying Accidents
• Collision Injury
• Wire Strike - (See also: Electrocution)
• Car Accident
• Shooting
• Shotgun Injury
• Hail-related mortality
• Vehicle collision

Disease Type

Infectious/Non-Infectious Agent associated with the Disease

Infective "Taxa"

Non-infective agents

Physical agents

• Handling/Equipment
• Hail storms
• Heavy waves / Rapid water flow
• High winds
• Non-specific physical trauma
• Visibility reduced

References

Disease Author

Major References / Reviews

Code and Title List

Other References

Code and Title List

Detailed Clinical and Pathological Characteristics

General

Clinical Characteristics

• Variable, depending on nature of collision.
• May be found dead or stunned, sometimes visible or palpable injury, e.g.

• Linear wounds if cable collision
• If power line involved, may also be signs of Electrocution.
• Leg fracture and/or wing fracture and/or neck fracture.
• Air sac leakage: local or generalized subcutaneous emphysema.
• Neurological signs if struck head.
• Ataxia, limb paresis or limb paralysis. Uncontrolled tail wagging may be seen associated with spinal injuries. N.B. nervous signs may improve with time - recovery may require up to eight weeks.

(J40.19.w1, B9.6.w1, P8.3.w1, B11.34.w2, B11.38.w6)

• Inability to fly and wing held partially raised to carry wing tip above and across back in wild lesser Snow geese Anser caerulescens and Ross’s geese Anser rossii with shoulder luxation (B15).

Incubation

Mortality / Morbidity

Pathology

• Bruising, subcutaneous and intramuscular haemorrhage over impact site.
• Fractures of limbs and/or vertebrae. N.B. Avian bone tends to crack and shatter more readily than mammalian bone, due to the higher calcium content. Fractures are therefore more often comminuted. (B10.20.w16).
• Crushed skull, severe mandible damage (hailstorm).
• Tearing of skin (Hailstorms)
• Liver may be ruptured, with associated subcapsular or intraperitoneal haemorrhage.
• Kidneys may be ruptured.

(J36.44.w1, J40.19.w1, B15).

Human Health Considerations

Disease has been reported in either the wild or in captivity in:

• Tundra swan Cygnus columbianus found drowned on a beach in California following heavy surf conditions (J1.22.w2).
• Trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator in Minnesota, USA (J7.S1.w4).
• Mute swans Cygnus olor, Bewicks's swans Cygnus columbianus bewickii and Whooper swans Cygnus cygnus (power line collisions) UK (J7.26.w2, J7.43.w2).
• Mute swans Cygnus olor in Scotland (e.g. power lines, trees) (J7.50.w1).
• Mute swans Cygnus olor and/or Whooper swans Cygnus cygnus in Scotland (J36.41.w1, J36.44.w1).
• Mute swans Cygnus olor in UK (J7.42.w2, B9.6.w1)
• 'Free-flying' swans (trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator and/or whistling swan Cygnus columbianus) in British Columbia, USA (J14.19.w1).
• Lesser snow geese Anser caerulescens in Manitoba, Canada having flown into the ground (apparently startled by sonic booms from aircraft) (B15).
• Lesser snow geese Anser caerulescens and Ross's geese Anser rossii on migration (shoulder luxation): suspected goose-goose collisions (J40.45.w1, B15).
• Wild ducks, adults and juveniles, hit by hail storms in Alberta, Canada: estimated mortality in one incident 76,7000 adult and 44,000 juvenile waterfowl (J40.19.w1).
• Wild waterfowl, especially unfledged juveniles but also adults, hit by hail storms in North America, particularly in the Central Flyway (J40.40.w1).
• Wild waterfowl hitting vehicles, telephone wires, power cables, television and radio towers, fences and buildings, aircraft etc., in North America (J40.40.w1).
• Wild waterfowl hit by hail in North America and in Europe (B15).
• Canada geese Branta canadensis striking power lines (trauma or electrocution not distinguished) in the UK (P12.10.w1).
• Pinkfooted goose Anser brachyrhynchus in the UK, hit by car (V.w5).

Host Species List

• Anser brachyrhynchus - Pink-footed goose
• Anser caerulescens - Snow goose
• Anser rossii - Ross's goose
• Cygnus buccinator - Trumpeter swan
• Cygnus columbianus - Tundra swan
• Cygnus cygnus - Whooper swan
• Cygnus olor - Mute swan

Disease has been specifically reported in Free-ranging populations of:

• Tundra swan Cygnus columbianus found drowned on a beach in California following heavy surf conditions (J1.22.w2).
• Trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator in Minnesota, USA (J7.S1.w4).
• Mute swans Cygnus olor, Bewicks's swans Cygnus columbianus bewickii and whooper swans Cygnus cygnus (power line collisions) UK (J7.26.w2, J7.43.w2).
• Mute swans Cygnus olor in Scotland (e.g. power lines, trees) (J7.50.w1).
• Mute swans Cygnus olor and/or whooper swans Cygnus cygnus in Scotland (J36.41.w1, J36.44.w1).
• Mute swans Cygnus olor in UK (J7.42.w2, B9.6.w1)
• 'Free-flying' swans (trumpeter swan Cygnus buccinator and/or whistling swan Cygnus columbianus) in British Columbia, USA (J14.19.w1).
• Lesser snow geese Anser caerulescens in Manitoba, Canada having flown into the ground (apparently startled by sonic booms from aircraft) (B15).
• Lesser snow geese Anser caerulescens and Ross's geese Anser rossii on migration (shoulder luxation): suspected goose-goose collisions (J40.45.w1, B15).
• Wild ducks, adults and juveniles, hit by hail storms in Alberta, Canada: estimated mortality in one incident 76,7000 adult and 44,000 juvenile waterfowl (J40.19.w1).
• Wild waterfowl, especially unfledged juvenilesbut also adults, hit by hail storms in North America, particularly in the Central Flyway (J40.40.w1).
• Wild waterfowl hitting vehicles, telephone wires, power cables, television and radio towers, fences and buildings, aircraft etc., in North America (J40.40.w1).
• Wild waterfowl hit by hail in North America and in Europe (B15).

Host Species List

• Anser caerulescens - Snow goose
• Anser rossii - Ross's goose
• Cygnus buccinator - Trumpeter swan
• Cygnus columbianus - Tundra swan
• Cygnus cygnus - Whooper swan
• Cygnus olor - Mute swan

General Information on Environmental Factors/Events and Seasonality

• Inclement weather such as fog, high winds, low cloud; other disorienting factors (e.g. low-flying aircraft).
• Collisions with wires may be particularly common during migration (spring and autumn), and increased in wind storms.
• Birds encumbered by e.g. soil sticking to the feet may be more prone to hitting power lines while flying from feeding areas.
• Hailstorms, which usually occur in summer, may act as a direct cause of injury.

(J4.99.w1, J7.26.w2, J40.19.w1, J40.40.w1, B15).

Regions / Countries where the Infectious Agent or Disease has been recorded

Regions / Countries where the Infectious Agent or Disease has been recorded in Free-ranging populations

General Information on Investigation / Diagnosis

• History (e.g. seen to collide with car); site casualty found (under powerlines, beside bridge, on road, etc.), physical evidence of injury in live bird, pathological findings.

(B15)

• History and Documentation - General
• Physical Examination - General
• Necropsy - General
• Appendix A - B36 Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases - Sample specimen history form

Similar Diseases (Differential Diagnosis)

Specific Medical Treatment

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General Nursing and Surgical Techniques

• The method chosen for fracture repair will depend on a variety of factors including: type of fracture, bone involved, age and size of bird and the required degree of post-operative function.
• Strain on the pelvic limbs is considerable in larger species, such as swans (B11.36.w4). In general, results are better using techniques allowing immediate weight-bearing and normal joint function, such as external fixation and intramedullary pinning (B11.36.w4).
• Restoration of flying ability is often less vital than for many other birds, particularly with birds from collections, or which may be released on sheltered lakes where an island provides safe roosting habitat (B11.36.w4, B11.23.12).
• Amputation may be required if an affected limb becomes necrotic, grossly infected or is persistently paralyzed (P8.3.w1).

Post-operative management:

• Provision of water is important for convalescent waterfowl; this must be clean and changed regularly. Contamination of surgical incisions is a considerable risk with dirty water. Sealing skin wounds with e.g. OpSite Spray (Smith and Nephew) may be used to reduce the risk of infection. (B11.36.w4).

• Bandaging & Splinting in Birds
• Bill Repair in Waterfowl
• Cage Rest (Fracture Treatment) for Birds
• External Skeletal Fixation in Birds
• Internal Skeletal Fixation in Birds
• Wing Amputation - Adult Birds
• Partial Wing Amputation - Adult Birds
• Treatment and Care - General
• Environmental and Population Management - General

Preventative Measures

WATERFOWL

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Environmental and Population Control Measures

WATERFOWL

• Avoid siting power lines on known flight paths, increase visibility of power lines to birds by using markers (e.g. large plastic spheres) on wires.
• Remove unnecessary fences from waterfowl production marshes.

((J40.40.w1, J48.69.w2, B20.14.w11, B37.x.w1).

• Environmental and Population Management - General
• Accommodation Design for Birds - General