You are not alone. RSPB has advised people not to feed seed in the summer, they have advised people not to feed off flat surfaces. Why, what’s it all about?
At finches friend we have been working on the problem of feeder based disease for ten years, it followed the death of dozens of Greenfinches in our own garden. For the last two years we have supported RSPB in their research. Here with a simple Q&A we can clear up the mystery.
What is the disease that is causing concern?
It is a parasitic disease called Trichomonosis. It has killed millions of finches, mostly Greenfinches, Chaffinches and Bullfinches. It also kills Raptors, Pigeons and Owls, it kills other birds as well. It has been endemic in the UK for 21 years.
Q. Is Trichomonosis the same as “Bird Flu”?
A. No, Bird Flu or Avian Influenza is viral, Trichomonosis is Parasitic.
Q. Why flat surfaces, what is considered a flat surface feeder?
A. A flat surface feeder would be a bird table, a conventional Window feeder, most novelty feeders and capture trays. If you imagine taking your pets food, leaving it in the rain, allowing all and sundry to walk and defecate in it, and then offering it to your pet, that is what we do to our wild birds on flat surfaces.
Q. Why is the parasite dangerous in the summer?
A. Put simply the parasite loves wet and warm. When it rains and the food becomes wet, the sun then comes out and raises the temperature. When a sick bird feeds, it leaves the parasite in the wet, warm food and the parasite regenerates within the food.
Q. I have a tubular seed feeder with ports in the side. Is that safe?
A. Anything but I’m afraid. Conventional side port feeders will be the primary source of disease. When it rains, the food inside the ports gets wet. When the sun comes out, the feeder heats up. The gut of a finch is around 42°C. If a sick bird feeds it will leave the parasite in the wet warm food and the feeder becomes an incubator.
Q. I wash my feeder regularly, will that protect the birds I feed?
A. No, the parasite is in the food, not on the feeder. Cleaning does no harm, but it will not stop Trichomonosis.
Q. Is my bird Bath OK?
A. The parasite can live three days in water, RSPB recommend changing the water for chlorinated water daily. We prefer a Water Ring. A large shallow bowl with a 50mm smaller bowl inverted in it. That creates a water ring for drinking only. Clean and change the water daily.
Q. Are my ground feeders safe?
A. No, a diseased bird can drop feed from a feeder, that is probably how Chaffinches and Pigeons are infected. Move your feeders regularly. If you have a lawn, provide “signage”. It can be anything, from two broomsticks a metre apart, to a little flag. Start close to your feeders, sprinkle a little food around the sign. Within days the birds will associate the sign with food, move the sign every two or three days. Keep the area under feeders as clean as you can. Ideally intercept the dropped food using a table and inverted sieve under the feeder.
Q. How do I know if I have an infected bird and what should I do?
A. An infected bird will be lethargic, it will have matted plumage around its head and beak. You can often pick them up. You cannot help the bird, put it somewhere quiet for its last hours, raptors and owls will be infected by predating this easy pray. Stop feeding for at least three weeks.
Q. Where are solutions?