Public urged to stop feeding birds
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| A sick bluejay found in the D.C. area. [Belinda Burwell] |
Wildlife officials don’t yet know why so many birds are sick and dying, but they urge residents to stop feeding birds until there are answers.
Wildlife managers in Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and West Virginia began receiving reports of sick and dying birds with eye swelling and crusty discharge, as well as neurological disorders in late May, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) states.
State agencies and the National Park Service are working with diagnostic laboratories to investigate the cause of mortality. Meanwhile, the DWR urges residents to take precautions as birds congregating at feeders and birdbaths can transmit disease to one another.
The agency calls on the public to:
- Stop feeding birds;
- Clean feeders and birdbaths with a 10 percent bleach solution;
- Avoid handling birds, but wear disposable gloves if handling is necessary; and
- Keep pets away from sick or dead birds.
In Fairfax County, there have been reports of sick and dead bluejays and common grackles, among other species, states the newsletter from Supervisor James Walkinshaw (Braddock). Most of the affected birds appear to be juveniles.
If you find a sick or injured bird on your property, contact the Fairfax County Animal Protection Police through the police non-emergency number, 703-691-2131, and submit a report to the DWR.
If you must remove dead birds, place them in a sealable plastic bag and dispose of them with the household trash.
5 responses to “Public urged to stop feeding birds”
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Ohhh what a mystery
Residents poison cicada's , birds eat poisoned cicadas,
bird get poisoned and die
predators eats dead poisoned birds.
Residents should stop using poison over a once-in-17-years cicadas and maybe it will make some sense.
Human stupidity is peaking.
I agree, people use poison on so many things, Round up certain is doing nothing for the environment, let alone all the pesticides people use. They see Cicadas and right away they want to kill them, they are shooting themselves in the foot and killing off birds and their own pets who eat the cicadas for SHAME!
One thing that will definitely make birds sick is 5G. One thing that will definitely not make them sick is feeding them – unless you are trying to poison them.
yes, that and the fact that the earth is flat.
FALSE.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/5g-cellular-test-birds/
–kda