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| Mountain Chickadee on a snowy day |
I started winter feeding the birds again last
year and was reminded of a few general rules of good bird feeding. It is fun to
see large groups of birds crowding around a feeder but that may not be the best
thing for their health. I saw a few birds die last year from Salmonellosis (I
did not take a dead bird in for diagnosis but the symptoms certainly fit the
numerous descriptions I read). Birds that tend to travel in groups are more
susceptible such as those in the finch family.
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| This is a cold but
healthy looking Cassin’s finch. |
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| This is a sick looking
Cassin’s finch. |
At first glance the sick bird looks like it
is cold but a real tipoff is if you see one bird looking all fluffed up and
ruffled when all the others are not looking like that. Below is an excerpt from
the USGS National Wildlife Health Center and here is the link.
Salmonellosis
(sal-muh-nel-LOW-sis)
Salmonellosis is a general term for any disease
in animals and people caused by a group of bacteria known by the Latin name
Salmonella. Birds can die quickly if the Salmonella bacteria spread throughout
the body. Abscesses often form in the lining of the esophagus and crop as part
of the infection process. Infected birds pass bacteria in their fecal
droppings. Other birds get sick when they eat food contaminated by the
droppings. Salmonellosis is the most common bird-feeder disease.
You can spot
sick birds in a crowd. They are less alert and less active. They feed less and
often cower on a feeder, reluctant to fly. Their feathers look ill-kept.
Despite these obvious symptoms, disease usually is overlooked as a complication
of feeding birds. Certainly, the signs of illness are not as easily noticed as
bright colors and cheery songs; but being inconspicuous does not make disease
unimportant.
The Precautions against Disease
People who feed birds cannot ignore the disease issue. Eight relatively easy
steps can be taken to prevent or minimize disease problems at feeders.
1. Give them space - Avoid crowding by providing
ample feeder space. Lots of birds using a single feeder looks wonderful, but
crowding is a key factor in spreading disease. If birds have to jostle each
other to reach the food, they are crowded. This crowding also creates stress which
may make birds more vulnerable to disease.
2. Clean up wastes - Keep the feeder area clean of
waste food and droppings. A broom and shovel can accomplish a lot of good, but
a vacuum such as you might use in your garage or workshop will help even more.
3. Make feeders safe - Provide safe feeders without
sharp points or edges. Even small scratches and cuts will allow bacteria and
viruses to enter otherwise healthy birds.
4. Keep feeders clean - Clean and disinfect feeders
regularly. Use one part of liquid chlorine household bleach in nine parts of
tepid water (a 10 percent solution) to disinfect. Make enough solution to
immerse an empty, cleaned feeder completely for two to three minutes. Allow to
air dry. Once or twice a month should do, but weekly could help more if you
notice sick birds at your feeders.
5. Use good food - Discard any food that smells
musty, is wet, looks moldy or has fungus growing on it. Disinfect any storage
container that holds spoiled food and the scoop used to fill feeders from it.
6. Prevent contamination - Keep rodents out of stored
food. Mice can carry and spread some bird diseases without being affected
themselves.
7. Act early - Don't wait to act until you see
sick or dead birds. With good prevention you'll seldom find sick or dead birds
at your feeders.
8. Spread the word - Encourage your neighbors who
feed birds to follow the same precautions. Birds normally move among feeders
and can spread diseases as they go. The safest birdfeeders will be those in
communities where neighbors cooperate with equal concern for the birds.
