As West Nile virus continues to be a concern in the Pittsburgh area, wildlife rehabbers are seeing an uptick in sick birds.
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Within the last few weeks, Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Center has been seeing a lot of birds showing signs of West Nile virus, including birds of prey and even a crow.
“The common ones of red-tailed hawks, we got in quite a few of them. A few great horned owls that were symptomatic. We did even get an American kestrel, all very young, seemingly young birds that were coming in,” said Katie Kefalos, director of wildlife rehabilitation for HARP.
Kefalos said young birds don’t have a strong immune system, so it’s hard for them to fight the virus.
“We do see a lot of neurological symptoms, lethargy, they come in really thin. And most of the time, they do have parasites,” she said.
Mosquitos become infected with West Nile when they bite infected birds. West Nile is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Kefalos said there’s no treatment for the virus, so they provide full-on supportive care.
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“Heat support if they’re really emaciated, fluids, most of the time they’re pretty dehydrated,” she said.
They’re trying their best to help the birds recover so they can fly free again in the wild. She says some kick the virus, but many don’t.
“We have seen quite a few pass from what we are assuming is West Nile virus,” said Kefalos.
So, what can we do to help protect wildlife and humans from the West Nile virus? Use safe mosquito repellents and, most importantly, get rid of standing water.
“It’s really simple, you know, making sure you don’t have any stagnant water just lying around,” she said.
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That includes bird baths.
“They are a potential for a breeding site for mosquitoes, and there are a few songbird species that are affected, and they can be transmitters,” she said.
HARP sends the dead birds to the Wildlife Futures Program at the University of Pennsylvania, which conducts testing and research. If you find a sick or dead bird, reach out to HARP’s wildlife center at 412-345-7300 or your local wildlife center for advice.
You can also report dead birds to the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 833-742-4868.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there’s no evidence that a person can get infected from handling infected birds.
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Jessica Guay
Jessica Guay joined KDKA as a reporter in February 2021. Before joining KDKA, Jessica was a morning anchor and reporter at WJAC in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She was also an anchor and reporter at WCHS in Charleston, West Virginia, and at WTOV in Steubenville, Ohio.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen at the tail end of the 2025 NFL season amidst struggles at the position. Thielen had returned to the Minnesota Vikings in 2025, the team that drafted him for which he carved out a very respectable career before signing with the Carolina Panthers in 2023.
Thielen appeared in five regular season games with the Steelers, catching 11 passes. He joined Good Morning Football on Monday and was asked about his experience in Pittsburgh, to which he couldn’t say enough nice things.
“What an amazing experience,” Thielen said. “First of all, just to experience the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. it was so cool to see it first hand. You hear a lot about it, you play against it, but you don’t really understand it until you get in that building. You just feel the culture and just kind of see how it’s different. It’s a family-owned business and it’s got that family aspect to it that they’re always in the building, they’re always around – it’s a really cool place.”
Thielen then discussed his time with Aaron Rodgers, and praised the four-time MVP for his approach to the game.
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“Being around Aaron, I’ve known him for a long time,” Thielen said. “Played a lot of golf with him, built a strong relationship with him outside of football. But to seem in the building and in practice and his communication and the way he does things and his detail, it really showed me why he’s been so great for so long. A lot of times… you just think, ‘Oh, they’re really skilled…‘ these guys are great and separate themselves because of their process. He treated every single practice like it was the Super Bowl. it was unbelievable to see first hand just how hard he practiced, what it meant to him, how much communication there was through the week of trying to get everybody on the same page – whether that be coaches or players. So it was really cool to see that first hand and get to know him on the football side of things.”
Thielen retired after the 2025 season, finishing his career with 704 catches for 8,497 yards and 64 touchdowns.
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(File Photo of a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Car)
Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News
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(Pittsburgh, PA) Pennsylvania State Police in Pittsburgh reported Friday that a 19-year-old New Castle man was charged for tailgating following a two-vehicle crash in Pittsburgh on May 11th.
Christopher Glidden Jr. was driving on Interstate 376 West near the Boulevard of the Allies ramp at about 5:23 p.m. when he rear-ended a vehicle driven by 32-year-old Kimberly Brooks of Pittsburgh, according to police.
Police said both drivers were attempting to merge into the left lane at the time of the crash. Brooks suffered a suspected minor injury and was transported from the scene.
