Two snowy owls found dead in Toronto park infected with bird flu: TRCA

Snowy Owls often move through Tommy Thompson Park at the foot of Leslie St. in Toronto, one of several owl species that can be safely spotted from a distance. These photos were taken in January 2014 with a telephone lens (CTV News)

Two snowy owls that were found dead at Tommy Thompson Park late last December tested positive for bird flu, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) says.

“Test results indicate the owls were infected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. We cannot confirm that it is H5N1,” Karen McDonald, TRCA’s senior manager for restoration and infrastructure confirmed to CTV News Toronto.

McDonald adds they were found to be infected with a highly pathogenic avian flu that has been seen across North America for the last few years. H5N1 is classified as a highly pathogenic bid flu, based on the severity of illness that it causes among birds.

“This is concerning because it is a contagious virus that causes high mortality in infected animals,” McDonald said in her emailed statement.

According to data catalogued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), over a dozen birds since 2022 have died from H5N1 in Toronto. This virus is typically found among bids in various countries across Africa and Asia, but has more recently spread to other parts of the world including Canada.

Though some wild birds fall ill and die from the virus, the federal government says others can still appear healthy despite being infected.

Bird flu spreads through animal feces, mucus and saliva, and can infect people if that gets into a person’s mouth, nose or eyes. That said, human infections typically happen to those who have been in close contact with infected birds.

In November, a British Columbia teenager was hospitalized after contracting the H5N1 avian flu—the first reported human case in Canada. A person also recently died in the U.S. after contracting a severe case of H5N1, marking the first reported bird flu death in the country.

However, the federal government says H5N1 is not well adapted to humans, adding there has been no evidence of ongoing transmission between people as of date.

The TRCA says it is monitoring for other dead or ill birds at the downtown Toronto park, urging locals to report to them or the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative if they see any. Birds that are still alive and accessible by land should be reported to the Toronto Wildlife Centre, providing details like the birds species, if possible, the exact location, time and date, and photos.

“The public is reminded to avoid contact with sick or dead birds or other wildlife to avoid potential exposure to avian flu. Do not touch, feed, or handle them,” McDonald says.

With files from The Canadian Press