Clean that bird feeder!

Bluetit on well-cleaned bird feeder [Photo: Darin Smith]

Many people in Britain regularly feed birds during the winter and spring, with bird feeders, tables and feed being big-selling items at garden centres. All this is great news for birds, leading to much improved survival rates for small hedgerow and woodland species during bad weather and in the breeding season. But, there has been a significant rise in bird diseases over recent years, especially in avian pox, which has spread rapidly since its first appearance in the UK about 5 years ago. Research suggests that this spread is facilitated by birds gathering at ‘feeding stations’, that is bird tables, bird feeders, bird baths, etc.

Please help reduce the spread of bird diseases by regular and thorough cleaning of bird feeders, bird tables and bird baths.

For more information see this article on the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) web site.