House Sparrows in Poor Health

centrarchid

Crossing the Road
14 Years
Sep 19, 2009
27,548
22,222
966
Holts Summit, Missouri
This year I have a lot more perching birds around my flock. Partly due to new barn although very good growing season for cover crop is providing lots of habitat. Many of the birds are in poor health and I am starting to find dead ones. Dead and dying birds are in good weight. I am very leary of this development. We are approaching time where migratory birds and something that looks a lot like Mareks Disease pops up. This may be a bad year for such.
 
This year I have a lot more perching birds around my flock. Partly due to new barn although very good growing season for cover crop is providing lots of habitat. Many of the birds are in poor health and I am starting to find dead ones. Dead and dying birds are in good weight. I am very leary of this development. We are approaching time where migratory birds and something that looks a lot like Mareks Disease pops up. This may be a bad year for such.
I love that you take note of this. Wild birds are a great way to determine the health of the surrounding ecosystem. Perhaps the good growing system growth was protecting the weaker ones that would normally be picked off by predators? I hope that may be the case. Chicken lovers unite.
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I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble. Last year we had a number of lesser finches turning up dead. I have no idea what the trouble was but this year there are a lot less of them around.
 
Small warblers are what I usually see like this although not until September and October. They fly in at night to rest and refuel in sumac path N of house. Sick birds will not be aware and behave almost drunk. Following the evening when bulk of flock continues south, dead can be found the following morning. Numbers not large but finding one is never a surprise.
 
When I called to see if they would check the finches they said no. They did say they would check certain birds for West Nile. Blue jays, crows, hawks etc. We did find a dead blue jay on our property but unfortunately it was too late to be tested. They need the eyes intact.
 
Since I see this most years and have already related observations to conservation and ag health people and they show now interest, I will not be concerned enough to have carcasses tested. This part of the game keeping chickens and promoting wildlife habitat. I will still be very weary of Mareks popping up.
 

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