anyone else finding dead greenfinches in their garden

[tui-nz]

i was wondering how far this dreaded parasite has now travelled amongst our finch family, unfortunately i have had two greenfinches within the past month that have died through this awful parasite, am keeping my bird water clean and using the special stuff that you put into it and also cleaning my bird feeders, i don`t think this year has been as bad up to now as previous years. Is anyone else experiencing this in their gardens.

[Hevva]

I had a greenfinch last week with, what I presume, is the same disease. It was trying to eat but all the food was stuck round its beak and it just sat in a fluffed up ball. That is the first one I have had this year, thank goodness, and am trying to keep everywhere clean and disinfected. I did have a couple of chaffinches last year with the same problem. I do put quite a lot of food on the ground as my feeders are on a concrete area and am wondering whether this is perhaps not a good idea?

[Jandy]

I use a product called GardenClens which I assume CJ still supply (mine I've had for some time) to sprinkle under feeders and on ground feeding areas. It "destroys harmful bacteria and doesn't harm birds, pets or other animals" and apparently is even good for plants, being akin to a natural garden fertiliser!

[tui-nz]

cjwildbird foods also sell a product called citrosan you put it into your bird bath after you have cleaned it and it is suppose to reduce transmission of diseases between wild birds, apparently when a bird which has been infected with this awful disease drinks from the water it could leave behind a parasite into the water and this product is suppose to kill off the parasite, unfortunately i have had 3 greenfinches infected which have died, i really hope i don`t get anymore.

[Jandy]

Hi, tui-nz - I know about Citrosan and recently started using it for the first time. I find it very good at keeping the water fresh and preventing the growth of the horrible green slime that used to appear in sunny weather, though naturally I still change the water and clean it out when it gets dirty every few days.

[banks]

I haven't found any dead birds yet but after reading this topic last week I have been paying very close attention to the condition of finches in the garden. I have noticed two rather scruffy looking Greenfinches and also a Chaffinch in similar condition.

[Hazelnuts]

I haven't found any dead birds yet but after reading this topic last week I have been paying very close attention to the condition of finches in the garden. I have noticed two rather scruffy looking Greenfinches and also a Chaffinch in similar condition.

Hi Raymond

I do not know how apparent this disease is at this moment in time yet, but I will keep an eye out from other people what is going on

Best way to compare notes. ;)

Regards
Kathy
x

[Flower]

I had a Collard Dove with it last year but so far been clear this year. It's horrible to see them like this. I took the dove to our local wildlife center, but it was too late.:mad:

Karen

[tui-nz]

well since i last wrote on this site unfortunately up to date i have found 15 dead greenfinches in my garden over the last month, for the past week i have taken my feeders down, this dreaded parasite is also affecting chaffinches as well, as yet no other specie of bird has been affected.
i really wish someone could find a cure as i hate to see these birds suffer in the way they do.

[Hevva]

How sad to lose so many. As you say, the only way to help contain it is to remove all feeders and still water supplies. Apparently this parasite is carried by doves and pigeons, who are unaffected themselves, and the affected finch usually dies from starvation as they lose the ability to swallow. I am watching my garden carefully, having had two with it, and will remove everything if there are any more. It is obviously now very widespread.

[splotty]

Hi, I'm sorry to say that I must have lost 20 or more greenfinches this year. I've always changed and washed my feeders regularly and cleaned well underneath the feeding area using hypochlorite washes. This year I gave up on my birdbath, stopped using 'flat' or dish type feeders, used only port style feeders changed weekly and sterilised, as advised by BTO.Only now have I stopped finding little corpses around my garden (which is in South Wales). I think the drier brighter weather has cleared it, either that or all those who are vulnerable have died and only the tough guys are left! Oddly the chaffinches, goldfinch etc don't seem to be affected.:(

[caff]

well since i last wrote on this site unfortunately up to date i have found 15 dead greenfinches in my garden over the last month, for the past week i have taken my feeders down, this dreaded parasite is also affecting chaffinches as well, as yet no other specie of bird has been affected.
i really wish someone could find a cure as i hate to see these birds suffer in the way they do.
Hi I have just been reading about your greenfinches, and I think I have the same problem.
I have a long garden and keep the feeders at the bottom of the garden under the trees as are the two shallow water dishes which I clear out every day and replace with fresh water and have only used cj's cleaner this year on the water dishes because I had heard about the virus, I probably only clean my seed feeders three times a year.
Anyway since september, well about 3wks I have had 15 or more Greenfinches dead. I thought that the neighbours cats were killing them which they still may be, but I havn't had any bird deaths over spring summer which is when the cats usually have there time, my cat has just brought her third one in now at 6.30pm, it's dark and I'm thinking maybe theyr'e picking off the sick ones.
I did buy one of those hanging water dishes, then moved it from under the trees, because of leaves and poo, and hung it for the time being on the washing line, to my dismay I watched a fluffed up greenfinch about to lauch itself from the bush to the water dish under which was the neighbours cat, if it was healthy it would of seen the cat, so I shhooed the cat away and I did see a chaffinch who didn't fly away when I got up close.
So what should I do, Take all water dishes away and for how long.
I also have a pond, will this be contaminated as well?
I don't see what the birds are like because they are at the bottom of the garden but I have seen some slow ones.
I have had more wood pidgeons this year, they have worked out how to balance on the feeders and take the seed, I always get doves.
I did have a very sick young Blackbird, I was throwing het waxworms and mealworms to keep her going but I couldn't get her to take her to the wildlife hospital, one day she would be bouncing around like nothing was wrong with her the next she could hardly stand up and she would rock forward, she lasted a couple of weeks like this and then she didn't come out for her feed, she couldn't fly, do you think she had this virus???
Any advice most welcome

[Jandy]

Seed feeders need cleaning much more frequently, specially with this virus around. I would say at least monthly at the moment, using a bird-friendly disinfectant such as CJ's ArkClens. The advice elsewhere has been that if you have actually had sick or dead finches in the garden, to remove the feeders altogether for at least two weeks, or until sick birds are no longer around.