Save the birds: Clean your feeders

Pine siskins and goldfinches have been showing up dead near bird feeders in North Carolina and several other states, probably due to an outbreak of Salmonella.
Reports of dead birds have been documented in Cherokee, Swain Clay, Jackson and Buncombe counties in western North Carolina, said Mike Carraway, a biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
A similar die off in April 2000 in North Carolina, also was due to Salmonellosis, according to lab tests.
The bacteria is spread at feeders by the droppings of infected birds. Because siskins tend to flock together, the bacteria can spread quickly.Tubular feeders can reduce transmission but birds can still become infected when they feed on seed contaminated by droppings on the ground.
Carraway makes these suggestions for reducing the spread of the disease.
1. Take feeders down for a week if you have found dead birds. Disinfect them before putting them back up.
2. Keep feeders clean. Bird feeders should be disinfected at least once a month under normal circumstances and once a week if sick or dead birds have been found. Disinfect feeders by complete immersion in a solution of one part liquid chlorine bleach in nine parts hot water for several minutes. Allow to air dry before putting feeders back up.
3. Keep the area around and under the feeder clean. Rake up excess spilled seed and when you clean feeders pour the left-over cleaning solution onto the spilled-seed areas.
4. Provide multiple feeding stations around the yard to disperse bird activity if possible. However, one feeder disinfected regularly is better than several feeders that are not cleaned regularly.
5. Move feeders periodically to reduce concentrations of droppings on the ground under feeders.
6. Always wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning feeders.

On Call

Wildlife Rehab Inc. in Winston-Salem is a network of wildlife rehabbers who care for orphaned and injured wildlife in their homes. Calls are left on an answering machine, and volunteers return calls between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., seven days a week. During the busy spring season, the group may receive 20 calls in a six-hour shift.
This morning it was my turn to answer calls, my first time since joining the group in December. It was a slow shift. The phone lines tend to be quiet this time of year. Squirrels, born in late January or early February, remain in their nests for a few more weeks. Baby cottontails and birds haven’t arrived yet. Opossums will turn up in March.
If you find an injured or orphaned animal in the Winston-Salem area, call 336-785-0912. Leave a message on our answering machine. Someone will return your call.