18-03-2025
With bird flu circulating, is it safe to leave up bird feeders?
As highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, circulates across the nation and beyond it is causing die-offs in domestic flocks as well as wild birds.
Since early 2022 the disease has killed or led to the culling of about 166 million domestic birds in the U.S., according to a March 11 report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It's the largest, deadliest and most costly bird flu outbreak in history, according to federal officials.
The toll on wild birds is harder to tally but is also significant, according to wildlife officials.
In late February the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused the deaths of an estimated 1,500 sandhill cranes across several counties in Indiana, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
It was the largest documented number of crane deaths due to bird flu anywhere in North America, said Anne Lacy, director of Eastern Flyway programs for the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo.
With all the news of bird deaths, many people have concerns about feeding birds in their yards. Here is how bird flu affects different species and tips for safely feeding birds in your yard.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza does not affect all types of birds equally, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Waterfowl such as ducks and geese as well as raptors such as bald eagles have been among those hit hardest by the disease.
And domestic poultry are extremely susceptible to bird flu and spread the disease easily, leading to up to 100% mortality of affected flocks.
Since the most recent outbreak of bird flu started about three years ago, the Raptor Education Center Inc. in Antigo has taken in about 3,000 sick or dying birds, mostly from central and northern Wisconsin.
About 40% were songbirds of some sort. But none had symptoms of or were detected with bird flu, said Marge Gibson, REGI founder and wildlife rehabilitator.
Meanwhile about a dozen bald eagles were brought to the center with bird flu; all either died from the disease or had to be euthanized.
The general answer is no, according to wildlife health experts and rehabilitators.
Songbirds are much less likely than waterfowl to contract variants of avian influenza and less likely to shed large amounts of virus, meaning they do not transmit the disease easily, according to Cornell.
"If people have been feeding birds, you can continue, you should continue," Gibson said. "It brings benefits, including to people. As of now there is no reason to not feed birds."
Gibson said people with bird feeders in their yards should continue by using best practices, including regular cleaning of feeders with a mild bleach solution and water.
Rubber gloves should be worn when cleaning the feeders.
And if any dead birds are seen, use rubber gloves to pick them up and bag them and properly dispose of them in the trash.
In advice on its website, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says removing backyard bird feeders is not something the agency specifically recommends to prevent the spread of avian influenza.
Unless, that is, you raise poultry.
People who care for poultry should prevent contact between wild birds and poultry by removing sources of food, water, and shelter that attract wild birds, according to the agency.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is asking for the public's help in monitoring for bird flu this spring.
If five or more sick or dead birds are observed in one area, the public is encouraged to report it by emailing to DNRWildlifeSwitchboard@ or calling (608) 267-0866.
In your message, include the number of animals, the species (such as Canada goose), if they were sick or dead, the specific location where you saw them, including name of county, as well as your contact information.
More: What to know about bird flu as wild birds across Wisconsin have tested positive for the virus
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Is it safe to use bird feeders with bird flu circulating?
