Photos courtesy Hudson, WI Fire Department

The city of Hudson, Wisconsin shared this week that their firefighters had helped a trumpeter swan that was frozen on the icy surface of the St. Croix River. Reported by residents, the bird was in life-threatening trouble. Trumpeter swans are the largest species of waterfowl in North America, and their population in the St. Croix Valley has rebounded in recent years after being almost wiped out in the 20th century.

Numerous swans now spend winters at places along the river where the water remains open due to springs, current, or other factors. The mouth of the Willow River in Hudson is one particularly popular place.

The fire department says it does not normally conduct such operations, but did it to prevent someone without training and proper gear from attempting to the rescue. That could easily have led to a serious emergency situation. Donning dry suits and other special equipment, two firefighters crossed the ice and brought the swan back:

“Yesterday we had an unusual request for assistance. Members of the public witnessed a swan that was frozen to the ice on the St. Croix River. The local conservation warden was unavailable, and not wanting citizens to try and perform a rescue themselves, Hudson Fire sent a crew to help out. We were successful in bringing the swan to shore to receive care from citizens. This is not something we would normally do, but risk the vs reward in preventing someone from the public falling through the ice was worth it. Remember, ice is never completely safe, especially in the river where the currents are always moving.”

History repeating

Unfortunately, this is not the first time a swan has been rescued from such a situation. In 2015, St. Croix 360 reported on the effort to save a young swan that was similarly frozen on the ice in Hudson. A female swan actually helped free the cygnet initially, but it was still ailing and local citizens and the Trumpeter Swan Society used kayaks to retrieve it and get it to veterinary care.

In that case, the swan was found to be suffering from lead poisoning, a danger that has claimed several swans in Hudson since they returned from near extinction. It died several days later despite the best efforts of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota.

“The damage to its body’s systems from lead was too extensive for it to recover,” the Trumpeter Swan Society said.

While eating from the bottom of shallow areas near shore, swans can ingest lead sinkers and other fishing tackle. Just one piece can slowly kill one of the 20-30 pound birds. It’s possible the swan rescued by Hudson firefighters this week was also suffering lead poisoning.

Flu fears

It’s also possible the swan was suffering a new problem: bird flu. According to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, swans and geese at a nature reserve some 150 miles south of the St. Croix, as the swan flies, have been dying of bird flu since mid-December. It’s also causing concerns about transmitting the virus to people who try to help the swans:

“The physical symptoms of this strain of bird flu are different from the beginning of the outbreak that started in 2022, said Rachel Ruden, the state wildlife veterinarian for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. She said in 2022, it was more obvious when a bird was sick because it would have head or body tremors or seizure-like spasms.

“But now, it isn’t as clear.

“There’s a bunch of birds on shore and they aren’t seemingly ‘with it,’” she said. “Now people are concerned and want to bring them to (a rehabilitation center) because they don’t see what’s wrong with them. That’s a risk and makes it more difficult to limit human exposure because they want to help and don’t perceive it as how a sick animal would behave.”

Auel said the symptoms he’s seen in the marsh’s birds are lethargy, swimming in circles and not trying to stay warm.

Kuiper, Maria. “Bird Flu Claims Dozens of Geese and Swans at Northern Iowa Marsh.” Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, 26 Dec. 2024.

Bird flu has also been identified elsewhere in Wisconsin and Minnesota, including confirmed reports in counties about 50 miles from Hudson. On Dec. 19, in Barron County, a farm worker at a large-scale turkey operation tested positive for bird flu. On Dec. 26, in Burnett County, the state confirmed infection in birds at a commercial poultry operation. On Jan. 4, officials announced another case in Washburn County.

Caution advised

State agriculture officials are asking the public to help control the spread of avian flu.

“[The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection] continues to urge all livestock owners to implement strong biosecurity measures to protect their flocks and herds from the disease. This includes washing hands, disinfecting equipment, restricting access to animals, and separating new additions to the flock or herd for at least 30 days. Poultry owners are asked, when possible, to keep their birds indoors.”

There was no word on the fate of the bird. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota said it has been treating multiple birds for the sickness each week. With most of their patients brought in by members of the public, the nonprofit organization also provided guidance for people who find sick birds:

“HPAI is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be contracted by humans. We recommend wearing gloves and a face mask when picking up a sick bird, and using a disposable box when possible or disinfecting any container with bleach after it is used. Getting these sick birds out of the wild can help save more lives by preventing the spread to other birds and mammalian predators that can also contract the virus.”

Authorities also said that the virus is not affecting songbirds significantly, and it is not necessary to remove bird feeders to prevent congregating and spreading the disease at this time.