[Birdtalk] Drunk Siskins

[Jessica S.]

Update: Unfortunately, the red crossbill passed away before he could be
treated.

The fine folks at Ogdent Nature Center's rehab clinic were willing to stay
late for us to bring him in. They've treated ~50 pine siskins with
Salmonella this season, and the crossbill was a little different for them.
When I called to tell them my sad news, they said they'd received a second
call regarding a sick crossbill in the Salt Lake City area this afternoon. I
hope this isn't the beginning of a trend...

I also received an update on the rehab arm of ONC, which has to relocate. I
was told they have donors, volunteers, etc. -- but no facility! They'd like
to stay in the Ogden area near their volunteers. If you have contacts in the
area and would like to help, they're looking for an acre+ property with a
building/shed with power and water.

Have a good weekend. I'll be disinfecting my feeders!


On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 10:54 AM, Jessica S. <jesstokes at gmail.com> wrote:

> This morning, there was a male red crossbill in my yard exhibiting similar
> symptoms to what I observed in siskins earlier this year. He's fluffed up
> feeding on the ground, was out earlier than all the other birds, very
> labored breathing, and not afraid of approaching humans. Is there something
> that can be done for salmonellosis or aspergillosis? I'm willing to take him
> to Ogen Nature Center in the morning (if he hangs on until then). Or is
> there someone else who can help him?
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 9:22 AM, Kristin Purdy <kristinpurdy at comcast.net>wrote:
>
>> It's quite possible that the siskins appearing drunk at feeder stations
>> have a disease called salmonellosis. Just as humans are more likely to
>> become sick when contacting concentrations of other sick members of our
>> species, birds are, too. It's especially common at feeder stations in the
>> winter.
>>
>> I've seen the highest incidence of birds with salmonellosis at my feeder
>> this year and concidentailly, all the sick ones have been siskins. Symptoms
>> include those that people have reported: an even higher level of
>> approachability than usual, mostly flying up off the ground when I approach
>> the feeder. The sick birds are fluffed up and may appear to fall asleep as
>> you watch them. They hang around the feeder all day and sometimes hop on the
>> ground in an un-siskin-like posture, feathers fluffed, tail cocked and wings
>> drooping. They may also hang around the water source. Sometimes in a close
>> view, their breasts are very puffed and I can detect their labored
>> breathing. This last symptom may also be a sign of another disease called
>> aspergillosis.
>>
>> Salmonellosis is transmitted through infected droppings and it's no wonder
>> to me that primarily siskins have it at my feeders. To control the diseases,
>> I stopped using wooden tray feeders a couple years ago that the House
>> Finches just sit in and eat and poop. In addition, the recommended cleaning
>> with a weak solution of wather and bleach is too difficult in the winter, so
>> I switched to plastic and metal feeders where birds must sit on perches or
>> cling to mesh sides and pull out individual seeds. I haven't, however, been
>> able to control seeds dropping on the ground, which is where many of the
>> siskins feed. While they also cling to seed socks, lots of seed spills from
>> heir feeding and my usual high population of siskins seeths over the ground
>> under the sunflower and nyger feeders.
>>
>> The last solution, which I did last year and I'm about to do again, is to
>> remove my feeders for a week or two and sweep up the seed. This allows all
>> the birds to disperse and the sick ones to die. Birds will recongregate
>> quickly once the feeders go back up and my hope is that the returning birds
>> will be healthy.
>>
>> For more information on sick birds at your feeder, see this link from the
>> Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology:
>>
>> http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/DiseasedBirds.htm
>>
>> Kris
>>
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>
>
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