Bloomington-Normal bird experts and some concerned residents want to remind fishers to pick up littered fishing gear in and around lakes.
Some residents have noticed that birds, especially waterfowl, are getting tangled in fishing line and hooks.
Littered fishing line
Waterfowl, such as geese, repeatedly get caught in fishing line and hooks across the nation and at Miller Park Lake in Bloomington, according to local experts. Great blue herons, a wading bird, are also getting caught in littered fishing line.
When a bird gets caught in fishing line it can lead to serious injuries and even death.
“I think certainly they die a horrible death," said Grand Prairie Bird Alliance program director and avian ecology expert Given Harper. "They starve to death, and oftentimes this is a very slow death.”
Bloomington resident Torri Thompson frequents Miller Park Lake and said that people see geese “all the time” with fishing line caught around their legs and feet.
“I know there are dozens and dozens of people who walk this park every single day, who are here because they love nature and they appreciate this park and they appreciate what lives in it,” Thompson said.
There are trash cans and fishing line recycling containers surrounding Miller Park Lake and other lakes in Bloomington-Normal.
Fishing line recycling containers look like a curved PVC pipe, and the ones at Miller Park Lake were provided by the Prairieland Anglers, a local nonprofit fishing club.
Thompson said if people see littered fishing line – pick it up. “That's all you have to do," Thompson said.
Parks and Recreation staff regularly maintain the shoreline and surrounding areas, including removing litter such as fishing line when it is found, according to a City of Bloomington spokesperson.
What residents can do
Birds getting caught in fishing line is mostly preventable, and Harper said bringing awareness to the problem is part of the solution.
However, Harper said there are some situations where he understands why people cannot access their discarded line.
“If they don't have access to attempt to get that fishing line, there's really not much that can be done. Sometimes the line will get entangled in a tree or even on a wire,” Harper said.
Sometimes the entangled birds are in difficult-to-reach spots.
Harper said last year there was an American White Pelican caught in fishing line at Evergreen Lake near Hudson.
"A local birder saw it and actually waded out through muck in shallow water and freed it. But unfortunately, it was so emaciated that it died the next day," said Harper.
When a bird does become entangled, experts do not recommend going near them. Especially federally protected birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act such as geese and herons.
Harper said if someone sees a bird, or any animal, in distress they should call licensed nuisance wildlife control operator Chase Cavalera.
Also known as “Local Tarzan,” Cavalera said he has rescued “hundreds” of birds from fishing line, and has a video of himself rescuing two geese tied together in fishing line at Miller Park Lake.
Cavalera said his solution to preventing this issue is not going to be everyone’s favorite.
“Fishing licenses,” said Cavalera. “In this pond or at the big lakes – it's all the same. In the state of Illinois you have to have a fishing license.”
The City of Bloomington spokesperson said, “Illinois fishing licenses are required for anyone over the age of 16. Enforcement of those regulations is the responsibility of the Illinois Conservation Police, a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.”
Cavalera said if people have the integrity to get the $15 license every year to fish, they are probably less likely to throw trash and discarded fishing line around the lakes.
Birds in the ecosystem
Harper said people should care about this issue because birds are extremely important to the ecosystem.
“They provide insect control, for example, and they serve as food for other birds. Some of the birds, such as waterfowl, serve as food for humans,” Harper said.
According to the 2025 State of the Birds report from Cornell University, bird populations across the United States are declining.
In previous State of the Bird reports, waterfowl were the only group that showed population increases. However, the 2025 report said, “today this legacy is in jeopardy.”
Loss of wetlands and grasslands is a major factor in the waterfowl population decline, according to the report, and littered fishing line does not help.
“If you're going to call something federally protected, you need to protect it," said Thompson. "And in this case, what that means is removing things that will endanger and kill the wildlife.”
