Bird Hygiene & Disease

Feeding garden birds can attract a large number of birds to your garden. Wild birds are prone to a wide range of diseases which can be more readily transmitted at places where they congregate to feed. Therefore, if possible, it is a good idea to move your feeding places around the garden to prevent an accumulation of waste seed, husks and reduces the potential for diseases to build up in one place.

There are a number of wellknown diseases:

Escherichia coli: E.coli is a bacterium that lives in the guts of many birds and animals and is a normal part of the gut flora. However, at times of stress it can become pathogenic; the toxins it produces can cause unwillingness to eat, loss of body condition and severe sickness to diarrhoea. In humans, young children and the elderly at the greatest risk. Infection can be prevented by keeping all feeding areas and water baths clean and free from droppings. Good personal hygiene is required and you should always thoroughly washing your hands having touched any bird feeders, bird tables and water baths.

Salmonella: A bacterial infection that is found at a low level in most wild bird populations and is particularly prevalent during the winter months when birds flock to feeders. Starlings and Greenfinches seems to be particularly prone. Birds can fail to respond to danger and show general sings of ill health including being lethargic and listless. Again it is important to keep the feeding areas free of droppings.

Canker: Generally affects Pigeons and Doves, but also some Greenfinches and other wild birds. Canker is a parasite of the upper digestive tract. However, it does not pass onto humans. Trichomonas, its other name, reduces birds ability to swallow and eventually breathe. Birds can show sings of fluffed-up plumage, lethargy and often have uneaten food in and around their beaks. This often leads to birds regurgitating food and saliva leading to a risk of contamination of food and drinking water.

If birds do show sings of this infection, it is recommended that you stop feeding the birds for around two weeks until there are no further sings of sick or dead birds. All drinking and bathing water should be emptied and left dry. This will reduce the contact between sick birds and healthy birds, thus reducing the outbreak.

Hygiene.

The important principal is to keep the feeding areas, feeders and bird and water baths clean from droppings and uneaten food and waste mess. It is easier to keep the ground clean of food and droppings if you use a bird table, hanging feeder or a ground tray. It is recommended that any food left on the ground is cleared up by nightfall as rats can be attracted to leftover food and they can carry disease that can affect both birds and humans. If a large of droppings accumulate, they should be removed and the area cleansed with an appropriate disinfectant.

When cleaning, we suggest that you wear some disposable gloves and you through away after each use and then to wash your hands thoroughly. Boxes of these gloves may be purchased quite cheaply from the internet.

Clean all feeders out of doors with utensils that are only used for such a job. Do not use them indoors for any human washing up etc. Disinfect them after use.

Please clean and wash your hanging feeders and bird tables regularly with a disinfectant as well as moving your feeding stations to a new area to prevent any accumulations of droppings.

Water baths and drinking baths should be cleaned and then air dried before refilling.

If you should find dead birds, do not handle them without protective gloves as there is a reasonable risk of infection. Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth especially.