The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife has not determined the cause of a bird illness that was killing blue jays and other birds in several states, and the agency has dropped a recommendation that residents of six counties in Central Kentucky stop feeding birds.
“The department strongly encourages all residents with bird feeders and birdbaths to continue cleaning them on a regular basis and to be on the lookout for any signs of disease in visiting birds,” a departments spokesman said in a news release Thursday. “Should signs of disease appear, the department recommends taking down and disinfecting the feeders and birdbaths at that location.”
Many of the affected birds have had swollen eyes with a crusty discharge. Some also have neurological problems and might appear to be stumbling around.
Wildlife and natural resource officials in Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Washington, D.C., are continuing to run tests in an attempt to determine the cause of the illness.
Dr. Christine Casey, the state wildlife veterinarian, said multiple factors are likely involved in the bird illness.
The department has received 2,300 reports of sick or dying birds to its online reporting system since June 17, but the number of reports has declined since the end of June. Many of the reported deaths were the result of natural causes.
State wildlife officials issued the following recommendations for all counties in Kentucky:
- Clean feeders and birdbaths weekly with a 10% bleach solution (one part of bleach mixed with nine parts water), rinse with water and allow to air dry.
- Avoid handling birds unless necessary. If you do handle them, wear disposable gloves. If picking up a dead bird, place an inverted plastic bag over your hand to avoid direct contact with the bird.
- Keep pets (including pet birds) away from sick or dead wild birds as a standard precaution.
- If sick or dying birds are observed at any feeders or birdbaths, take them down for two weeks and clean them with a 10% bleach solution.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
