For bird-watching enthusiasts and amateur physicists throughout the Bay, feeders in the backyard provided a sense of comfort and a much-needed connection to the outdoors, especially amid the isolation of the pandemic.
But the California Department of Fisheries and Wildlife is appealing to residents to take them down as soon as possible – the lives of finches and other bird species depend on it.
Since mid-November, numerous songbirds have died from salmonellosis, an intestinal disease that is quickly transmitted when collected from bird feeders or birdbaths. The CDFW said bird rescue centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, Central Coast and Sierra Nevada were “flooded with calls” from residents who were discovering more and more sick or dead birds at their feeders; in particular the pine forest, a migratory finch with a wild, chattering call and mottled brown and yellow plumage.
Birds become infected when they ingest food or water that is shared with other bird species that already have the disease, or when they come in contact with objects such as bird feeders, seats or soil contaminated with the feces of an infected bird. As more birds congregate in one area, the risk of contracting the disease increases.
‘If a large number of pine cones accumulate, the disease can spread quickly and cause high mortality. Most birds die within 24 hours of infection, ”said Krysta Rogers, a bird disease specialist at CDFW.
Experts at Sonoma County’s Bird Rescue Center recommend that people remove all seed feeders and birdbaths immediately and clean them thoroughly, and avoid placing them again for at least three to four weeks, or until the end of April, when the pine forest migrates north to breeding.
In a recent article by the National Audubon Society, the interruption of winter pines is one of the largest in history, meaning that the sharp rise in the migratory population could spread the disease to a large extent to others. bird species.
“We brought in dozens of calls every day about sick Pine Siskins and Salmonellosis,” reads an update from the Sonoma County Bird Rescue Center, pointing out that they also observed the disease in American goldfinches, smaller goldfinches, house finches and purple finches. .
But the pine forest seems to be most at risk.
‘Our hospital has more than double our average number of admissions for this time of year, with pine bins [encompassing] more than 40% of all intakes, ”wrote the Bird Rescue Center.
Birds that are sick often have plucked feathers and move slowly. Some also experience difficulty breathing, or their eyes may be swollen and partially closed. If you find a sick bird in your garden, the CDFW recommends contacting your local wildlife rehabilitation center for advice.
The Bird Rescue Center also recommends keeping free-ranging outdoor pets indoors to reduce the risk of them hunting a sick bird and catching the bacteria.