Bird feeders can be vector for avian disease

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on May 12, 2022.

Herald photo by Al Beeber A sparrow clings to a perch next to the opening of a bird feeder. Residents are being reminded of ways they can help their feathered friends stay healthy.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Bird feeders are common in Lethbridge yards but residents who want to help their feathered friends need to take precautions to prevent spread of disease and to deter creatures such as mice and voles.
Regularly cleaning feeders and bird baths are two ways people can keep birds healthy, says Anna Larney, facility programming co-ordinatior at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre.
Those are two of four steps Larney recommends people follow if they want to keep birds in their area healthy.
Feeders and baths should also be scrubbed and cleaned every two weeks using one part bleach and nine parts water. Both need to be rinsed thoroughly and allowed to dry before they are refilled.
Larney says if a person suspects a bird is sick, symptoms being lethargy, having growths or crusty eyes, then take the feeder down for two weeks. This will prevent birds from congregating around the sick bird.
Larney says cylindrical tube bird feeders are the best choice because platform types let droppings collect since birds stand in the food they’re eating. People should also clean the ground under feeders to discard droppings and mouldy food.
“The most important thing I think, but it doesn’t have to do with disease, is to keep cats inside. So if you’re choosing to have a bird feeder or a bird bath, just making sure you recognize this is an exposed vulnerable spot for birds to be in so keeping cats inside is really important,” says Larney.
The Audubon Society echoes her statements saying on its website, Audubon.org, that cats kill hundreds of millions of birds annually in the U.S. alone, “often pouncing on ground-feeding birds and those dazed by window collisions…outdoor cats are especially dangerous to birds in the spring when fledglings are on the ground.”
According to birdscanada.org, which along with the Audubon Society Larney recommends for people seeking information on feeding birds, mouldy seeds and hulls and droppings that accumulate around feeders can cause illnesses. Among the woes birds can suffer from are avian pox, salmonella, trichomoniasis and eye disease.
She also recommends people try to maintain an environment with healthy trees and shrubs which can provide natural nutrients for birds while also giving them shelter during inclement weather.
“We’re messaging that the healthiest most natural food source you can provide birds and to attract them to your yard are native trees and shrubs. That provides a great food source, excellent shelter and helps to amp up the habitat capabilities of urban neighbourhoods,” says Larney.
She says feeding wildlife including birds isn’t permitted in river valley parks, this practice having harmful effects on wildlife.
Feeding waterfowl at Henderson Lake has also created human/wildlife conflict in recent months, Larney added.
“A lot of the excess grain and bread gets mouldy really quickly” on the ground and that can lead to fatal infections, she said.
“Having a bird feeder or a bird bath in your yard provides a great chance to watch wildlife up close but it also requires people to follow proper bird feeding etiquette to reduce the spread of disease. There are many different avian illnesses,” said Larney this week.
Numerous resources are online that can give suggestions about food choices for people who want feeders, said Larney.
The Audubon Society recommends providing a diverse mix of seeds to attract a wider variety of birds and suggests putting different seeds in different feeders.
“Black oil sunflower seed appeals to the greatest number of birds. Offer sunflower seeds, nyjer (thistle), seeds and peanuts in separate feeders. When using blends, choose mixtures containing sunflower seeds, millet and cracked corn – the three most popular types of birdseed,” says Audubon.
“Birds that are sunflower specials will readily eat the sunflower seed and toss the millet and corn to the ground to be eaten by ground-feeding birds such as sparrows and juncos,” says the Audubon Society.
Mixtures containing dried fruits, nuts and peanuts will attract birds such as woodpeckers and nuthatches.
The Audubon Society also recommends offering suet only in cool weather because it can become rancid when temperatures rise. Peanut butter is a good alternative to suet in summer, it says.

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