5 ways to minimise the spread of disease among garden birds
Keeping your feeders clean is an essential part of the bird feeding process. It’s critical because your garden birds can become infected with, and therefore spread, a range of different diseases. Some birds, like Greenfinches, are more susceptible than other birds to horrific diseases like Trichomoniasis, a disease that has led to a significant decline in Greenfinch populations over the past 25 years. The most common garden bird diseases include:
You won’t easily observe the symptoms of these illnesses until right at the very last minute, and then often it is too late. Unfortunately, it is not possible to administer medication to birds in the wild as it is not only impossible to provide the correct dosage, but also because certain cures that are beneficial to some birds may be detrimental to others.
So what can you do to prevent these diseases from spreading? Here’s a five-step guide to help you minimise the risk of your birds from catching disease.
Clean your feeders
Use a specialist sanitizer fluid such as Ark-Klens, and be sure to use a cleaning brush for getting between those narrow nooks and crannies in your feeder(s).
- Gardman long handled cleaning brush
- Droll Yankees cleaning brush
- Ark-Klens disinfectant
Using the above solutions, clean the sills, inside the feeders and ensure any potential faecal contamination is removed.
Spread out your feeders
Spacing out your feeders means your birds will not congregate and crowd around each other. A major factor in the spread of disease, especially infections such as Trichomoniasis, which is transferred mainly through saliva, is because feeders are simply too close together.
Inspect your bird food supply carefully
- Mould
- Mildew
- Spoilage
Mould, for instance, can be particularly fatal for garden birds, as specific poisonous toxins can be the harbinger of salmonella. If you do see any old, mouldy bird food left over, be sure to remove it as soon as possible.
Dispose of any dead birds
Any dead birds left in your garden must be disposed of as soon as possible. It is important to do so quickly to prevent cats, and potentially other animals, from chewing or consuming the dead body. Official guidelines from the RSPB advise to either bury the dead bird or double wrap and throw it in the bin along with your usual rubbish. Be sure to wear correct protective gloves before handling any dead birds.
Contact the relevant authorities
If you strongly suspect your garden birds of being infected by any potentially deadly diseases, don’t hesitate to contact the relevant authorities for advice.
RSPCA: 0300 123 4999
The Institute of Zoology: 0207 449 6685
*please note the RSPB is a charity only and will not be able to help with any injured or ill garden birds.
Most popular bird cleaning products
This useful brush is made specifically for bird feeders from non-rust stainless steel and natural bristle, which wont scratch.
This handy table scraper keeps tables clean and hygienic. Made from metal with a padded handle for easy grip, it removes food with minimum effort.
The more birds you get to your feeding stations, the higher the risk is of diseases being passed between your garden birds.
The Ark-Klens veterinary concentrate is suitable for disinfecting animal environments such as bird tables, feeders, cages, kennels and water bowls.
Thank you. I had no idea there were so many potentially fatal illnesses out there for our beautiful garden visitors. The point about separating out the feeders is especially useful and I shall be doing that in the future,
With all the useful info above, you don’t say how often the bird feeders should be cleaned. I tend to clean once a fortnight in the summer months and once a month in the winter. I also scrub the paving slab underneath at the same time. Hope this is useful.
Hi,
You’re right, I’ll add this information. A guide as to the “when” would be particularly useful.
Thanks,
GardenBird
Very interesting article, your advice is useful for keepers of chickens like myself as I feed wild birds as well
Garden Wildlife Health is a project run jointly by the Zoological Society of London, the British Trust for Ornithology and the RSPB. The speciaist vets running the project are interested in recieving information about any wildllife disease in gardens (not only birds). They are also keen to receive the bodies of any suitable unfortunate casualties. You will be sent detailed packing instructions and free postage documentation to safely and properly mail the package to its destination. All details at: https://www.gardenwildlifehealth.org/
Hi.
Just to say that both your contacts numbers, The RSPCA and The Institute of Zoology are NOT the relevant authorities to call for suspected outbreaks of deadly disease amongst wild birds.
The correct authority to call would be:
DEFRA: helpline for reporting dead wild birds: 03459 33 55 77 (This information comes directly from the .gov.uk site)
The RSPCA have to receive a confirmation that a sick or injured wild animal, will still visible and accessible to their team, before they will send out officers. (Information from their own phone answering system)
The Institute of Zoology will just forward you to a DEFRA number, regarding diseased wild bird. (Again. Referenced from their own phone answering system).
I hope this helps you and save time and money.
Warm regards.
Chris