Pa. recommends taking down bird feeders to protect songbirds
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is asking bird lovers to take down all bird feeders, birdbaths and any other feature that encourages songbirds to congregate.
The request is due to what is being called a “songbird mortality event” that originated in the Washington, D.C., area that causes neurological issues and a crusty discharge from the birds' eyes.
The unidentified illness, which results in death, is occurring mainly in blue jays, starlings and common grackles, but also robins and cardinals, according to the Game Commission website.
The disease has hit Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Indiana, Ohio and Florida.
In the past few days, a bird in Chester County, near Philadelphia, was found to have the disease, which prompted the recommendation from the Game Commission.Rachel Handel, communications director at the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, said the society also is recommending people take their feeders down until scientists figure out the cause of the disease and how to deal with it.“A lot of it seems to be where the Brood X cicadas appeared this year, so we are trying to determine if there's a connection,” Handel said.She said removing bird feeders and other areas where birds congregate could prevent the disease from spreading among bird species in case it is communicable.“Until we get more information and more scientific study on what the root cause is, just take down your feeders,” she said.
The Audubon Society is practicing what it preaches, as all feeders have been removed from its facilities, including those at Succop Nature Park in Penn Township and Buffalo Creek Nature Park in Buffalo Township.The society also stopped selling seed or feeders at its Audubon Nature Stores, where customers have been learning about the situation in recent days.“They are very supportive of our decision to do our part to keep the birds healthy,” Handel said.She said one positive note is that birds are not currently migrating, which will prevent a massive spread of the mystery illness if it is communicable.Handel said there is no timeline as to when bird lovers will be able to rehang their feeders, but she said removing seed, suet, jelly, fruit, worms or any other feed will not harm the avian population.“They will absolutely be OK,” she said. “Bird feeders are a wonderful supplement, but these are birds that have been here much longer than we have, and they have learned to survive and thrive.”She said lots of food is available to birds in every backyard, even without the presence of a feeder.“The birds are still going to be in your backyard, just not at a feeder,” Handel said.The Game Commission is asking anyone who sees an ill or dead bird with obviously affected eyes to report the occurrence at vet.upenn.edu/research/centers-laboratories/research-initiatives/wildlife-futures-program.As a precaution, people should not handle sick or dead birds or allow pets near them, according to the Game Commission's website.
