The birds of Mississippi are going through a rough spring. They are weakened by the harsh winter that we recently experienced. This makes them much easier to become very sick and die. More people than ever have become “Birdies” and are doing their best to help birds survive. But, I have also heard many people say that they have been surprised at how few birds are now coming to their feeders. I know my own number of birds has greatly dropped. Unfortunately I have a strong suspicion of what is happening.
The snow in February brought so many birds to our yards that our feeders were handled by all sorts of birds. Just as people can have dirty hands that spread germs, birds can spread their own germs. Birds allow their droppings to go whenever and wherever. These droppings can be on feeders visibly and invisibly due to the birds getting the germs on their feet.
This past weekend I spent my Saturday taking down feeders, washing them inside and out with soapy water and allowing the feeders to air dry in the sunshine. I also scrubbed out all of my birdbaths and water bowls. I added fresh sunflower seeds and everything looked fresh and inviting. But, then on Monday afternoon Dennis looked at one of my freshly scrubbed feeders and there sat a very sick little Goldfinch. Her eyes were swollen shut and she was so lethargic that she didn’t even know that we were standing right beside her. She was exhibiting all the symptoms of Avian Salmonella. Her breathing was labored, seemed to be shivering, feathers were rumpled, poor co-ordination, and even though she was so very sick she continued to try to eat at the feeder. Due to diarrhea and dehydration she was most probably starving. Poor little birdie!
So I have felt I must research more on what might be causing birds in Mississippi to get this sickness and what the bird community could do to prevent spreading and cause us to lose our beautiful birds. The Pine Siskin, Goldfinches, Purple Finches, and House Finches all seem to be the hardest hit, but it can easily spread to all birds that come to our feeders.
In addition to germy feeders, we must look at the ground below our feeders. We have put so many seeds out during the winter that heaped below are huge mounds of hulls! The birds that feed on the ground sort through these hulls to find a missed seed to eat. Poop from the birds has dropped to this same ground and has contaminated the soil that they are walking on. This is where a germy mess can begin. Perhaps we have had enough rain to wash a lot of these germs away, but we must get out our rakes and remove these mounds of seed hulls.
Since birds in an area visit other people’s feeders it may not be your feeders that have made the birds sick, but someone else’s feeder and grounds. But, unfortunately when they fly from one yard to another they spread these “invisible germs.” So, even though I don’t want to have an article about avian sickness and disease right in the middle of all our own hand washing and masking up, I must. You must share this information with everyone that you know that has a bird feeder out in order to save our birds. This germy mess has to be addressed and we must invite all bird lovers to do their best to stop the spread of salmonella by wiping down their feeder perches with Clorox wipes each time they fill their feeders, put fresh water in birdbaths regularly, and rake underneath your feeders. And, we may even have to remove our feeders for a few weeks to break the cycle.
May the LORD bless our efforts and help us heal our Mississippi birds as we continue to “Look at the birds of the air….” Matthew 6:26.
My photos may be viewed & “LIKED” on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest - “Birdie of Mississippi”.
E-mail: birdieofmississippi@gmail.com - Read my Blog @ http://www.birdieofmississippi.blogspot.com
