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A Salmonella outbreak in the BC bird population prompted the BC SPCA to ask the public to temporarily remove bird feeders from the backyard.
The pine forest, a small brown and striped bird in the finch family, has been hit hard by disease caused by the bacteria.
The BC SPCA’s rehabilitation center for wild animals has so far admitted 43 pine bones so far in January, many of which show signs of disease but few survive. The salmonella outbreak has spread across the continent, and many U.S. conservation associations are also recommending that bird feeders be removed.
“In 2021, pine trees in southern Vancouver Island and the rest of the province began a deadly outbreak of salmonella,” said Andrea Wallace, the BC SPCA’s wildlife welfare manager, in a news release. “Salmonella is a serious and contagious disease, so we ask people to temporarily remove their bird feeders and birdbaths – or at least clean them” to prevent further spread of the disease.