A Guide to Common Diseases & Parasites that Hamper a Bird’s Life

Birds are delicate and commonly get afflicted by variety of diseases. On having bird-feeding stations in the yard, people can often find ailing birds as they get easily attracted to a free meal. It is easy to strike out the diseased bird due to their abnormal growth, decreased energy level and outlook.

There are four different diseases that affect feeder birds easily, namely avian pox, aspergillosis, trichomoniasis and salmonella. These diseases easily get transmitted from one bird to another while using feeding stations and also increase the transmission of lice and mites, especially when the feeder gets overcrowded. Therefore, to maintain a healthy and safe environment for both birds and people accessing it, you might sometimes add medications for birds in the feeder that will help them grow healthy.

Some of the common diseases that affect birds are:

Avian Pox is a viral disease that affects near about 60 different bird species. The disease gets easily predicted with symptoms such as formation of lesion on the unfeathered parts including eyelids, feet, legs, mouth and around the beak. In some cases, the disease becomes fatal as numerous sores around the eyes prevent the bird from hunting food. But in most cases, the virus gets recovered after a period of time. This viral disease spreads through mosquitoes bites and direct contact. Avian medications are available to cure this pox.

Aspergillosis is again, a type of fungal infection caused by Aspergillus fungus. These organisms are found in the damp bird nesting materials or landfills and grow spores on the damp and wet seed mixtures. And inhalation of these spores into the air sacs causes bronchitis and pneumonia. This disease does not affect the ingestion of food, its symptoms include diarrhea, weakness and labored breathing.

Salmonellosis is caused by Salmonella bacteria and is the most commonly found disease in feeder birds. The first symptom of the disease is intestinal-tract infection. Lethargy, diarrhea, and ruffled feathers are some other indications of this condition. The disease is quite fatal and the bird usually dies in 1 to 3 days. It spreads easily at crowded feeding stations due to consumption of food contaminated by infected bird’s droppings.

Salmonella easily transmits to human while dealing with sick or dead birds; therefore disposable gloves are recommended while handling them. After every session with birdbath or feeder, washing hands is a good habit. Antibiotic medications for birds affected by Salmonella can help them regain the same structure.

Trichomoniasis regularly affects different species of birds and is caused due to a group of one-celled protozoa. If one bird gets infected by the straining of this parasite, then its predators also get infected. For instance, if a dove or pigeon is infected than a falcon or hawk are likely to get infected after feeding on them. This disease, develops sores in the mouth and throat, which makes food swallowing difficult and thus the food is dropped and consumed by other avians, spreading the infection further to other birds feeding on the same food.

Feather mites in birds such as cardinals, blue jays, and others result in loss of feathers and balding of the head of these birds. While bathing and preening, birds are unable to reach their heads or necks leading to destruction of the head feathers by parasites. Usually, the feather grows in two or three weeks. So, some mite preventive medications for birds in the bird bath can help the birds to get rid of the mites.

Ticks are another type of parasites that affect the normal life of birds and get easily transmitted from one bird to another and sometimes to other animals too.

Having a birdbath or feeder around your place is a good idea and this will help you not only feed them but in some cases you can also save their life by providing preventive medicines that can help build better immunity for fighting different types of diseases. Since the feeders attract different species of birds, be wise with the preventives to keep the birds safe and healthy.

Donald is a professional blogger since 8 years and specializes in writing blogs on various business products and services offering helpful information, tips and suggestions on the latest trends.