Increased mortality rates caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in a migratory raptor

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) has caused extensive mortalities in wild birds, with a disproportionate impact on raptors since 2021. The population-level impact of HPAIV can be informed by telemetry studies that track large samples of initially healthy, wild birds. We leveraged movement data from 71 rough-legged hawks (Buteo lagopus) across all major North American migratory bird flyways concurrent with the 2022–2023 HPAIV outbreak and identified a total of 29 mortalities, of which 11 were confirmed, and an additional ~9 were estimated to have been caused by HPAIV. We estimated a 28% HPAIV cause-specific mortality rate among rough-legged hawks during a single year concurrent with the HPAIV outbreak in North America. Additionally, the overall annual mortality rate during the HPAIV outbreak (47%) was significantly higher than baseline annual mortality rates (3–17%), suggesting that HPAIV-caused deaths were additive above baseline mortality levels. HPAIV mortalities were c..., , # Increased mortality rates caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in a migratory raptor

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.n2z34tn92](10.5061/dryad.n2z34tn92)

## Description of the data and file structure

We leveraged movement data from GPS-tracked rough-legged hawks *Buteo lagopus* that coincided with the HPAIV panzootic in North America to determine its effect on annual mortality. All missing and unavailable data represented as NA 

### Files and variables

#### File: AnnualMortality.csv

**Description:** spreadsheet used to analyze the HPAIV effect on annual mortality.

##### Variables

* index: index number
* tagid: transmitter ID (unique to an individual hawk)
* year: 12-month study period. 2020 = 1-Mar-2020 to 28-Feb-2021, etc...
* date_begin: date within the 12-month study period that tracking began
* date_end: date within the 12-month study period that tracking ended
* duration: tracking duration (number of days)
* fate: individual fate during the 12-month study period...,