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Sick Bird At Your Feeder Station?A sick bird may appear at your feeder despite your best efforts to prevent it. Keep in mind that disease is natural. It’s not your fault! But now you must act…Remember, birds, like all animals, get sick naturally. If you see a ill bird, remember that only licensed rehabbers and veterinarians can legally treat wild birds. Best that you not try to as you risk illness yourself. The first thing you should do is contact your state or local wildlife agency and report the sighting. Oftentimes, if the bird is deceased, a wildlife official will retrieve the bird for you. Other times they will give you directions on how best to dispose of the creature. If you see a ill bird, it will very likely spread its pathogen to the other birds around it, especially under conditions of stress. Pull down your station for a week!!! It’s tough to stomach, I know, but your birds will be fine—that aren’t dependent on you for food—they gather calories from multiple sources. And don’t worry, they’ll visit almost immediately when you reestablish the feeder station. You must do this, folks, to prevent the spread of the contagion. Once the feeders are down, it’s imperative that you clean them. Since you have seen an infected bird at the station, use a bleach solution. Remember to rinse the feeder thoroughly and always use gloves when cleaning feeders. Project Feeder Watch is a program established by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. You can join this program to report what birds visit your station. You can also report sick birds. Go to Project Feeder Watch for more information.
Bird feeding is the ideal outdoor activity. Don’t be deterred from maintaining an active station if your birds end up with an infected bird. Simply act responsibly to control it, and move on!
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