Male House Finch

[Photobiologist]

I spent a bit on the back deck this morning. I've got a blind set up on one side of the deck and some perches on the other side (about 12 feet away). It is great for the early morning light. I don't get to spend much time back there, but had a pretty good morning. I had 7 species of birds on the deck with me at one time this morning.

Anyway, here is one of the male house finches that posed for me.

Nikon D70, Nikkor 400 mm, f/4.0, 1/1000th second, ISO 200, tripod, cropped from vertical to horizontal.

[rpk717]

Great shot Robert, very nice. I like the colors and glad this guy is not affected by that eye disease that so many of this species suffer from. Being a biologist is there any suggestions you can give us on how to protect our birds at our feeders?

[Photobiologist]

Transfer of many avian (and mammalian) wildlife diseases can occur at feed sites where animals occur at a high density with regularity. The transfer can occur through any number of ways (depending on the epidemiology of the disease). In some cases it is animal:animal contact, in other ways it is deposits of spores, cells, feces, mutual grooming, ingestion, etc.

Anyway, if you start seeing diseased birds at your feeders, the best recommendation I have seen (for the good of the overall population) is to take in your feeders and sterilize them (using a strong Clorax solution or commercial disinfectant) and then don't put them back out for AT LEAST two weeks - preferably a month. That will allow the birds to disperse to other areas and not congregate at a site where the disease propagules have probably been deposited. When you put your feeders back up, put them in "new" places. A month isn't even long enough for the disease to run its course in the existing bird population, so you may have problems pretty quick again...

That is the best advice that I have heard. Feeding of certain wildlife species in some areas (think deer & elk with chronic wasting disease) has beem made illegal because of disease tranmission problems. There has been a good bit of professional debate recently about the benefits/detriments of wildlife feeding, including bird feeders. What I have summarized is the best advice that I have seen. Thanks for asking.

[mrsisu]

Wonderful shot, with clean background. Thanks for comments on prevention of the diseases that seem to be so common and especially the ?conjunctivitis in these birds. :) :)

[barmstrong]

Excellent shot. Interesting information about the spread of disease at the feeder and something I had never considered. I will be cleaning feeders tomorrow...

[rpk717]

Thanks Robert for such a great explanation. For those who don't know what to look for the signs that your birds may be infected is a crusty look around the eye, once you see it you will know it. For whatever reason I've seen this affect the House Finch much more than any other species.