Bird feeding precautions urged in Washington
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- Reports of sick or dead birds at backyard feeders in Washington have prompted the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to recommend that people temporarily stop bird feeding or take extra steps to keep their feeders clean.
People should stop backyard bird feeding for at least a few weeks, if not for the remainder of the summer, to encourage birds to disperse and forage naturally, department veterinarian Kristin Mansfield advised.
Laboratory analysis of bird carcasses has confirmed salmonellosis, a common and usually fatal bird disease caused by the salmonella bacteria, she said.
"The disease afflicts species such as finches, grosbeaks and pine siskins that flock together in large numbers at feeders and transmit the disease through droppings," she said.
The department has received reports of about four dozen dead birds over the past several weeks in both Eastern and Western Washington.
It's uncommon, but possible, for people to become infected, so people who handle birds, bird feeders or bird baths should wear gloves and wash their hands afterwards, Mansfield said.
This article is republished courtesy of the Yakima Herald Tribune:
Bird feeding precautions urged in Washington
