Over the past week I have seen a growing number of ill and dying birds in the garden. From the symptoms it would appear to be trichomoniasis caused by the dreaded trichomonad parasite. This has been reported in the UK since 2005 and mainly affects finches during late Summer and the Autumn. It can also be passed on to Sparrows. Here it was first noticable among the Greenfinches and now seems to be affecting the Goldfinches as well.
There is no cure for this but as the parasite does not survive for long outside the host the best method of slowing down the spread is by stopping feeding the birds for up to two weeks in the hope they will not gather closely in large numbers.
To this end I have removed all the feeders which the finches use. There is just a peanut feeder, a fat ball feeder and some Sunflower seeds on the table. It is safe to carry on feeding the tit family so that should help keep those going. In effect the Birdy Bistro has had to close down temporarily - for a couple of weeks or until no more ill or dead birds are seen. I had also, as recommended, emptied the bird bath but that was full again this morning after last nights rain so I think I will have to cover it up.
The trichomonad parasite causes a horrible death for those birds affected. More information can be found HERE on the RSPB website.
Sorry about that John, seem to recall problems of a similar nature in pheasant, mind you the least of a pheasant's problems for a month or so. Hope it resolves itself. Pity there's no way of dosing the food.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear that John. Fingers crossed that the remedy will work and you'll soon be able to resume feeding.
ReplyDeleteI had a spell of dead birds some years ago, they were all Greenfinches. I now wash the feeders and the table at least once a week. I also do not use the same feeders, I have spares so I rotate them. I have not had a problem for a while but I am aware that my neighbours who are feeding the birds do not have the same hygiene regime, in fact they probably do not even clean their feeders.
ReplyDeleteI'm very sorry to read of this John it is incredibly distressing to see birds suffering like this. As soon as I saw your headline on my sidebar I feared it, in fact when I saw the amount of birds visiting your feeders recently I had a horrible feeling it would happen as I too have large numbers visiting and had a brief spell of the disease here last year and again this. I feel it is a real dilemma as, if we are successful in attracting large numbers of birds to the garden, this dreadful disease seems to be almost inevitable.
ReplyDeleteI completely echo Lynmiranda's words and try to do the same but as she says others are not so scrupulous. Last year I was washing and changing the feeders every day and pretty well felt I had become a slave to it! What started as enjoyment turned into a chore.
I have worried for some time about sunflower hearts which in my garden are the favoured food particularly of the finches. I have noticed the hearts react badly to damp conditions. Any debris from them which can't be swept from the wet soil or grass soon grows a strange black mould and as Trichomoniasis is water borne I do wonder if there is a connection between damp sunflower hearts and this dreadful disease. As you said it is only in recent years this problem has arisen and I don't think the hearts were sold until the last few years.
I'm sorry to have gone on a bit John and there may be nothing at all in my theory but it is something which has troubled me ever since I first encountered the problem. I wish there could be more research carried out!
I do hope things get back to normal soon and you can enjoy your visitors again
So sorry to hear this John. Very sad about all those sick and dying birds. Hope it all comes out well. :)
ReplyDelete...oh no! Late last winter the virus started popping up in our area. I saw two sick goldfinches, but thankfully it never got a foothold after I stopped feeding for a while. Good luck eradicating the disease from your yard.
ReplyDeleteHi Adrian. It is. There seems to be no way to be sure to give the right dose unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteHi Tricia. At least we are near the end of the normal season for the parasite. Colder weather may also help.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynmiranda. I think I will put up less feeders so as not to attract such large numbers and that would enable me to rotate their use. I use a spray disinfectant but the problem is as soon as a new infected bird arrives the spread starts all over again.
ReplyDeleteHi Jan. As you say it is distressing to see the infected birds knowing there is nothing that can be done to help them.
ReplyDeleteI have recently seen that strange whispy black growth. Next job on the 'round tuit' pile will be to pave all the area under the feeders as that will make clearing up spillage so much easier.
My intuition says the bird bath is a large contributor to the spread as I have noticed the infected birds spend much longer trying to drink and as you say the parasite thrives in damp conditions.
Hi Pam. I hope I can get through this outbreak OK. It seems to be worse in Summer and Autumn so it has arrived late in the season here.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kelly. Hopefully it can be contained.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things you can do, depending on the size of your birdbath, if you get a couple of plantpot holders that will sit in the birdbath and interchange them so that you are not using the same one all the time. My birdbath is not very good in icy weather, it cracks, so I will have to get myself a couple of the plantpot holders (12" in diameter) and put water in them and place them in the birdbath so my birdbath does not crack up to the point beyond repair. Also there are water hanging dishes you can get (from C J birdfood) small or large. Can the birds use your pond for drinking and bathing?
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