An Audubon Society photo shows the eye issues associated with the mysterious illness that has killed thousands of songbirds in recent months. While 27 counties in Pennsylvania have reported birds with the deadly symptoms, experts in Butler County have yet to see a bird that is sick or dead from the disease.

While a pair of local experts have not seen a bird in Butler County with the strange illness that has killed thousands of songbirds from Florida to Delaware in recent months, they said local bird lovers should keep the feeders inside while scientists continue to study the problem.

The fatal illness, which the state Game Commission is calling a “songbird mortality event,” has been found in 27 counties in Pennsylvania, mostly in the eastern and middle sections of the state.

Experts are asking bird lovers to remove feeders, birdbaths and other backyard features that attract birds to help stem the spread of the unknown disease.

Beth McMaster, owner at Wildbird Recovery Center in Middlesex Township, said on Wednesday she has not received any sick or dead birds at her center displaying the symptoms associated with the mysterious disease.

She also has not seen any pictures of them on the email address she has set up specifically to receive photos of birds to determine if they might have the new disease.

Residents who have recent pictures of a bird or birds with eye issues, which McMaster said is always present in the illness, can send the photo to research@wildbirdrecovery.org.

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