Healthy, Responsible Bird Feeding 

It’s fun to feed birds! Along with the enjoyment of bird feeding, we have a responsibility to be conscientious and aware of what’s going on with our feeders and birds. Wild birds move around, and while a flock may feed for a few days in one area or even on one berry-producing tree, in nature they are almost never concentrated into one small place. With bird feeders, bills are poking into a few small holes, feet are perched in the same spots repeatedly, droppings happen, and it’s pretty much impossible for contamination not to occur. Avian pox, mycoplasma, and salmonellosis are three infectious and in some cases fatal bird diseases associated with bird feeders. None of these is contagious to humans. Here’s how to spot these diseases and what to do if a sick bird comes to your feeder. 

Avian pox is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. You’ll see wart-like lumps usually on unfeathered parts of the bird such as the face, legs, or feet, but sometimes protruding through the feathers. Pox doesn’t kill a bird outright. Instead, these growths interfere with feeding or breathing or seeing or getting around. Pox exists in the wild population, and not all birds die of it. Those who recover may go on to be carriers, and some birds who never show the disease outwardly are carriers. Pox is spread through direct contact with infected birds, contact with contaminated surfaces such as perches and bird feeders, and ingestion of water and food that has been contaminated by sick birds. It can also be spread by mosquitoes (mosquito bites infected bird, then bites uninfected bird). 

Mycoplasma conjunctivitis, a bacterial eye infection, is commonly seen at bird feeders. You’ll see birds with red, swollen, runny, or crusty eyes sitting quietly, often fluffed; the disease may have blinded the bird, subjecting it to starvation, exposure, and predation. This disease is highly infectious. Direct contact between birds isn’t required: they can get it by landing on or feeding from a feeder that a sick bird was previously on. It even spreads by airborne particles. 

Recently, California Department of Fish and Wildlife alerted the public to an outbreak of Salmonellosis, a bacterial infection. Birds catch the disease from food, water, and feeders that are contaminated by bird droppings, and for some, particularly Pine Siskins, it is highly fatal with death coming in as little as 24 hours. Sick birds are lethargic, fluffed, and show labored breathing. 

Prevention & action are key! 

To prevent the spread of disease, clean feeders and bird baths at least weekly or between seed refills and water changes. The Lindsay Wildlife hospital recommends that you wash them with soap and water, then disinfect with a 10% bleach solution for 10 minutes. Rinse and let dry. Metal and plastic feeders are best; it’s hard to properly disinfect wood feeders. Keep an eye on your birds, especially the House Finches, siskins, and goldfinches. If you see a sick bird at your feeder, take quick action. Remove and disinfect your feeders, then leave them down for two weeks. This allows time for the birds to disperse. Initially, the birds will still come looking for food – and it can be hard to refuse! Never fear; when you put the feeders back up, they’ll return. 

If you have a sick bird that is so compromised that you can catch it, take it to your local wildlife hospital right away (go to http://www.sfbaywildlife.info/resources/ rescue.htm.) 

Photos of the diseases mentioned in this article can be seen at Cornell Lab’s Project FeederWatch site: http:// feederwatch.org/learn/sick-birds-and-bird-diseases/