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Tucson Audubon Society (Reprinted from the May-June 2004 issue of the Vermilion Flycatcher newsletter) Backyard bird feeders and birdbaths can be sources of diseases that kill birds. Diseases potentially spread by birdbaths and feeders include mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, aspergillosis, avian chlamydia, and trichomoniasis. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is warning that 2004 may be a particularly bad year for trichomoniasis, a protozoan that affects birds as well as other animals. Potential dangers of feeding wildlife go beyond dangers to the birds that eat backyard seed and nectar. For one thing, those birds are often eaten by other wildlife, including raptors. Trichomoniasis, for example, is a significant problem for the Cooper’s Hawks in urban Tucson. Second, in some parts of town, bird food on the ground may attract animals like javelinas, rabbits and squirrels, which in turn may attract predators such as mountain lions. The basic rules for safely feeding birds in your backyard are to discourage large concentrations of birds and to maintain feeders and baths so they will not spread disease. Here are some tips for safely attracting birds to your back yard: 1. Store birdseed in a clean, dry place. (In humid weather seed can absorb moisture and develop mold.) 2. Use relatively small amounts of seed, so that birds use it up promptly. Monitor numbers of birds at your feeder and cut back if there are large concentrations. 3. Do not feed on the ground—this encourages large numbers of doves and other birds to associate in close proximity. 4. Sweep up or turn under discarded hulls and droppings below feeders. 5. If you use quail blocks, put them on a platform so that javelinas and other mammals cannot easily get to them, and shelter them so they don’t get wet. 6. If diseased or dead birds show up in your yard, take a break from feeding. This will disperse birds and make it less likely they will transmit disease to each other. 7. Clean seed feeders monthly with a nine-to-one bleach solution to kill disease pathogens. (A dilute vinegar solution can be used on wood or other surfaces that bleach might fade.) 8. Clean birdbaths with a nine-to-one bleach solution and change the water every two to three days to kill disease pathogens. (This also prevents mosquito reproduction and could reduce transmission of the West Nile virus.) 9. Change and clean hummingbird feeders frequently (every other day in hot weather). Scrub and rinse feeders, and let them air dry before refilling. (In addition, use only sugar water solutions—no food coloring and no honey—at a ratio of four parts water to one part sugar.) Rather than feeding birds (or in addition to light feedings), consider landscaping your yard in a way that attracts birds. While it may take a while for plants to mature and for birds to find them, there are many benefits to this approach. Native plants provide healthy and diverse bird food, without encouraging large concentrations of birds. They also provide birds with places to roost, nest, and hide from predators—things that feeders and birdbaths cannot do. And bird-friendly plants are often quite attractive. Keeping cats indoors, and safe windows (non-reflective glass and decals), also go a long way toward protecting birds. If you have questions, call or stop by the Tucson Audubon Nature Shop. Volunteers can give you tips on backyard birds, a free pamphlet called "Enjoying Wild Birds in Your Backyard," and show you inexpensive booklets on backyard landscaping that attracts birds.
Bird questions? Check Birding | General questions? Contact: Tucson Audubon Society | Webmaster: Email This page was updated on 07/13/06 |