As mystery bird illness subsides, birdfeeders get OK — with precautions

Bird lovers can put their feeders back up. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has rescinded its recommendation, first issued in early July, that residents remove birdfeeders from their yards due to the threat of a mystery illness.

The illness that had killed thousands of birds in several states, and had been confirmed as having been detected in Connecticut earlier this month, has subsided to the point where different species of birds can gather again, DEEP said.

In Connecticut the death toll has plummeted to 25% of what it was a few weeks ago. The spread of the illness has dropped drastically in other states as well.

The illness has not been given a name, and it is still unknown whether it is a virus, a disease or something else. The condition was first spotted in the southern U.S. and spread to at least seven states, including Pennsylvania and New York before Connecticut.

Symptoms include swollen or cloudy eyes with a crusty discharge.

The condition mostly affected songbirds, including the American robin, blue jay, common grackle, yellowtail flicker, European starling, northern cardinal, house finch, house sparrow, Eastern bluebird, red-bellied woodpecker, and Carolina wren, but had also spread to woodpeckers.

The advisory, which was never truly a ban, was intended to reduce contact among birds. Birdfeeders, bird baths and other backyard attractions draw birds that would likely not congregate otherwise. A dozen states, as well as the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, the U.S. Geological Service and the national Audubon Society made recommendations similar to CT DEEP’S.

DEEP and the Connecticut Audubon Society still suggest taking precautions, including cleaning (with soap and water) and disinfecting (with bleach) birdfeeders and bird baths, then allowing them to air-dry completely. Gloves should be worn when handling either birdfeeders or birds. Pets should be kept away from sick or dead birds.

DEEP notes that there is a greater “dispersal” of birds at this time of year, lowering the amount of contact.

The cause of the deaths is still being investigated by many agencies and university labs around the country, including the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory. Notable bird pathogens such as avian influenza, West Nile Virus, and Newcastle Disease do not seem to be implicated. When disposing of dead birds, they should be double-bagged then thrown in the trash or buried 3 feet deep or more.