[blueroseaviary]

Originally Posted by smallonion

I feed wild birds here. We have loads of blackbirds, tons of starlings, so many bluetits, some Eurpoean robins, goldfinches, sparrows, etc. But I live in the inner city - I don't have a backyard or a even a car (don't need one, just hop on the subway), so I use a feeder with suction cups stuck on my window. I love watching them.

With the pollution, filth, garbage, etc around here, I suspect these are some hardy city birds. But now I'll worry. I wonder what else I can do?

Michele

Hi Michele,

I don't think you should run out and pull down your bird feeders. I have a very small yard and I don't feed wild birds. My dog would scare them all away anyway. My next door neighbor feeds the humming birds, she is retired and has the time to clean the feeder everyday so that no fungus grows.

I am not sure in what areas or countries this parasite is a problem in. Just keep an eye out and an ear open. I had no idea that a parasite could be spread in this manner so I learned something new.

Outlaw I think has the best idea, keep the wild bird feeders a good distance from the house to keep the possibility of contaminating the inside birds to an absolute minimum.

And as Heather said, be sure to wash your hands very well after servicing the outside bird feeders. Better yet, tend to the inside birds first then the outside bird feeders. In addition to washing hands it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a pair of "backyard" shoes that stay in the back yard and never come into the house. You can track bird diseases in on your shoes. If you are concerned that there may be a problem in your area I would even go as far as showering and changing clothes as an extra precaution after servicing the outside birds.