An Update From The Connecticut Audubon Society About Bird Disease

ESSEX, CHESTER, DEEP RIVER, CT — A recent Town of Essex Facebook post has an update on the unidentified bird disease that has been affecting birds in Connecticut:

The post reads:

"An UPDATE from the Connecticut Audubon Society President, Patrick Comins, on the recent issue regarding birds becoming infected with an as yet unidentified condition.

Dear Friends,

To everyone who has taken down their bird feeders over the last three weeks, let me offer a sincere thank you.

We continue to think it is the best way to try to stop the spread of the condition that has been killing birds in southern, mid-Atlantic, and mid-western states.

The condition remains unidentified. Most of the afflicted birds have been recent fledglings. Many are blinded and seem to suffer from neurological damage before they die.

It's unknown if the condition spreads from bird to bird, but if it does, this is an especially important time of year, with migration about to start.

If it is confirmed here, we want to help prevent it from spreading among Connecticut's year-round resident birds; and to the birds that stop here before they fly to their Central and South American wintering areas.

The staff at Connecticut Audubon is consulting regularly with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and with experts at other conservation organizations and universities.

Our advice stays the same and is consistent with that of the CT DEEP.

For the time being it's a good idea to not feed birds or provide them with water.

The CT DEEP does not expect this recommendation to change throughout August.

Although the condition that's killing birds has yet to be identified, it might be infectious.

Reducing the number of places where birds gather near each other is likely to slow its spread, if so. (The condition also might be related to pesticides, or it migh t be a fungus or something else - we just don't know yet.)

We are as eager to tell you that everything is OK as you are to hear it. Feeding birds in summer provides a great bird-watching experience and a lot of pleasure to a lot of you.

But the prudent thing is to continue to recommend that you discontinue feeding and providing water to birds.

We recommend that you take your feeders down, including hummingbird feeders, and empty your birdbaths.

Luckily there is plenty of water, insects, and seeds around for birds to thrive without help from people.

Thank you for your love of birds, and for your dedication.

For more information, read our July 6 announcement, and "7 key things Connecticut residents need to know."

It includes specific information about what you can do now, and what to do if you find a dead or sick bird.

Whenever there's new information or new insights into the condition, we will let you know ASAP.

Sincerely,

Patrick Comins
Executive Director"