Today a juvenile Greenfinch landed on our bird feeder, the first we have seen for some time. However it was obviously unwell. It tried to feed on seeds but did so without seeming to actually ingest any seeds and kept wiping its beak to clear it of seeds. It was lethargic, almost sleepy, and fluttered off into the undergrowth in the nearby garden. It returned some time later and went through the same actions.
I fear it may be suffering from trichomonosis .
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| Picture - R.S.P.B. |
We used to get lots of Greenfinches, but this poor thing is the first we have seen in a long time.
Hope this is of interest.
Regards, Mavis, Soyland
For further reading:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/health/sickbirds/greenfinches.aspx
I was at the British Trust for Ornothology Conference in Leeds on Saturday and Mike Toms gave a presentation on the problems of disease in birds.
ReplyDeleteRecommendations for not causing spread of this disease Trichomonosis included using hanging feeders rather than flat tables, because the sick birds tend to regurgitate rather than swallow the food, where it can be pecked up by healthy birds.
Also try to move the hanging feeders to different parts of the garden from time to time, and wash them in hot soapy water. The Tichomonosis disease is a tiny parasitic protozoan that infests the crop.