[corporatei]

I realized that a house finch I took near the bird feeder in the past is ill with House Finch Conjunctivitis:





These pictures above probably has this disease?

Ivan

[stusteelhead]

Pine siskins from what I have read are more susceptible to salmonella then other bird species with gold finches also being affected. When they get sick the salmonella affects their gizzard so they are unable to swallow so they effectively starve to death, this is why sick birds always have seed stuck to their bills. This is also how the problem grows, sick birds tend to sit longer at the feeder (birds staying late in the evening while the rest of the flock is gone), pooping on the perches and passing the disease onto the next bird that lands on the perch. When you start to see sick birds it is recommended to take the feeders down for a couple of weeks till the flock disperses. If you have siskins at your feeders it is important to be extra diligent with cleaning, soak the feeder in a nine parts water one part bleach solution then rinse it off thoroughly and let it air dry to allow any residual bleach to evaporate off. This is a good monthly cleaning ritual that can be done every two weeks if the siskins are around.

[Guy L. Monty]

I bleached feeders every single day one winter, and they still died in droves.

Guy L. Monty
Nanoose Bay, Vancouver Island, BC

[stusteelhead]

The problem is Guy, its not just your feeder they are feeding at, and once it gets a hold within the flock it can be very tough to stop it. By doing your part in keeping the feeders clean you are at least giving them a chance and hopefully slow down the transmission.