Birds Eating at Your Bird Feeder May be More Like to Get Sick

First Posted: Sep 17, 2015 09:27 AM EDT

Do you put out a feeder for the birds in your yard? You may want to think twice before you do so. Researchers have found that wild songbirds that prefer to eat at bird feeders have an increased risk of acquiring a common eye disease, and spread the disease more quickly to their flock mates.

In this latest study, the researchers monitored the social and foraging behaviors of wild flocks of house finches, a common backyard songbird, and the spread of a naturally-occurring bird disease called Mycoplasmal conjunctivitis, which is similar to "pink eye" in humans. Infected birds have red, swollen eyes that can lead to blindness and, ultimately, death as a result of being unable to see.

In the study, each bird was fitted with a unique chip containing a barcode that automatically recorded each time a bird visited one of the monitored bird feeders over an entire winter. When bar codes from different birds appeared at feeders around the same time, the researchers knew that those two birds were feeding together.

The researchers then used this data to reconstruct the birds' social networks. Birds that were frequently seen together had stronger bonds.

"Our results suggest that in this species, a few individuals-those that like eating at feeders-are likely very important in driving disease epidemics," said Dana Hawley, one of the researchers, in a news release. "If this is true for other wildlife species as well, we may be able to more effectively reduce disease by targeting these 'high risk' individuals."

The findings don't completely discourage feeding birds. However, it does show the importance of cleaning bird feeders regularly, and disinfecting them each time they're refilled to help reduce the likelihood of spreading disease.

The findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Crows Mays Use Social Learning Like Humans

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).

See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone

Tagsbird, Birds, Food, Bird Feeder, Disease, Virulence, Animals, Animal Behavior, Animal