20+ birds shot, left to rot in Columbia River. One is a federally protected species

More than 20 waterfowl were shot on the Columbia River in Eastern Washington and left to waste, said the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife Police on Tuesday.

Wildlife police believe that the birds were shot by someone in a boat on the river north of Vantage in Grant County.

The first dead bird that police patrolling the river spotted was a common loon, which is listed as a sensitive species in Washington and is protected as a migratory, nongame species by state and federal law.

There are fewer than two dozen known breeding pairs nesting this year in Eastern Washington and there are even fewer nesting pairs west of the Cascade Mountains, according to Fish and Wildlife police.

The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife said the loons were once common across Washington state, but populations declined due to shooting between 1890 and 1925.

The loon was found about 11 miles upriver of Vantage with wounds that appeared to be from a shotgun.

Officers then found 20 dead coots and one wounded coot about four miles to the south near Scammon Landing. They appeared to have been hit with very small shotgun pellets.

Police found the dead birds on Saturday, Nov. 23, and believe they may have been shot that morning or possibly the day before.

Fish and Wildlife police are asking for the public’s help to identify a suspect.

They are asking if anyone has information on a possible suspect or a boat or truck and trailer that were parked at boat launches in the area on Nov. 22 or 23.

Call 360-902-2936, Option 1; leave a message at wdfw.wa.gov/about/enforcement/report; or text WDFWTIP to 847411.

Those who provide information leading to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward or bonus points for special permit hunting opportunities.

This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 10:56 AM with the headline "20+ birds shot, left to rot in Columbia River. One is a federally protected species."