Take Down Your Bird Feeders

Ducks and a swan at Pennington Flash, U.K. Photo by author.

We’ve been worried about COVID-19, but there’s another plague going on in North America.

Avian influenza.

This particular bird flu posits no risk to humans. However, it is very dangerous…to birds.

If you’ve noticed there’s less chicken in the store lately, then that’s because commercial poultry farms are being hit.

This particular strain is also unusually dangerous to raptors, including bald eagles. Wild raptors are everywhere…there are cooper’s hawks in D.C., peregrines in New York and Chicago, etc.

Zoos are closing outdoor exhibits to protect the birds.

So, what can you do?

It’s very simple. If there is bird flu in your area…

Take Down Your Feeders

Wild birds can survive perfectly well without extra food. Bird feeders are for the entertainment of humans, not the welfare of the animals. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this.

But right now, all feeders should be taken down, disinfected, and kept down until the outbreak is over.

If you have a bird bath, empty it, disinfect it, and keep it empty until the outbreak is over.