Syracuse.com - DEC offers tips on making birdfeeders disease-free during the winter

[HuntingNY-News]

Birdfeeders can be a place where diseases can spread very quickly between birds because of their close contact with each other.

Want to help the birds during the winter? Keep your bird feeders clean and help your hungry feathered friends avoid such maladies as "Songbird Fever."

Salmonellosis or "Songbird Fever" is among the most common diseases associated with bird feeders.

"Commonly reported signs include ruffled feathers, droopiness, diarrhea, and severe lethargy; chronically infected birds often appear severely emaciated. Sick birds may also be observed to seizure," according to the USGS National Wildlife Health Control website.

Outbreaks can affect many bird species including redpolls, cardinals, goldfinches, sparrows, cowbirds and pine siskins. The bacteria can be shed in the bird's feces even when the bird appears healthy, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.,

Salmonellosis can spread through contact with infected birds, contaminated seed, seed waste on the ground or water in bird baths. The disease can also be spread to both people and domestic animals.

Other common songbird diseases that are spread through bird feeders are mycoplasma conjunctivitis (an eye infection of house finches) and trichomoniasis (an oral parasite of songbirds, pigeons and doves).

The DEC offered the following tips to help keep birdfeeders and bird baths disease-free through the winter months:

- Empty and clean them with hot soapy water at least every two weeks.

- Soak your feeders in a dilute, 10-percent bleach solution and allow them to dry before re-hanging them.

- Waste seed on the ground beneath feeders should be cleaned up and discarded.

- Spreading feeders out and relocating feeders periodically can limit the build-up of waste.

- Practice good hygiene when cleaning feeders and bird baths by wearing gloves to handle seed waste and washing hands after performing maintenance.

If you observe multiple sick or dead birds at your feeder, contact the DEC.

The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology's Project Feeder Watch also has more information about feeding backyard birds.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog