Worried about bird flu, other disease? Tips to prepare your spring bird feeder in KY

An outbreak of avian flu, also called bird flu, has killed tens of millions of birds since early 2022, and it’s been detected in 48 states, including Kentucky, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in Kentucky at least 29 times since Jan. 1, 2022, according to CDC data. Most recently, HPAI was detected in a pair of geese in Henderson County along the state’s western border and just outside of Evansville, Ind., the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources reported in January.

With the arrival of spring, it may have crossed your mind whether your backyard bird feeder could be part of the problem, and if so, should you even use one at all? Rest assured, it’s highly unlikely your bird feeder will become ground zero for the next bird flu outbreak.

According to Christine Casey, a state wildlife veterinarian for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, HPAI is uncommon in songbirds.

“Currently, there is low risk of an outbreak of HPAI among wild songbirds. The disease is significantly more common in waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, and other non-songbird species,” Casey wrote to the Herald-Leader in an email.

That said, there are good reasons to keep your backyard bird feeders clean, including minimizing the spread of other common diseases that circulate among songbirds, such as salmonella and mycoplasma.

Bird feeder outbreaks of salmonella have been known to cause high mortality across large geographic areas, according to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

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How to keep your bird feeder clean this spring

To keep your backyard birds healthy, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife recommends the following tips to keep your bird feeder clean:

• Clean the feeders every two weeks, minimum. Throw away old food and debris and wash the feeder with dish soap and water. Rinse before soaking the feeder in a solution of one part bleach, nine parts water. Rinse again thoroughly and let it dry before refilling.

• See any seed shells or other waste beneath the feeder? Rake it up and throw it away.

• Store the food properly to deter pests and other contaminants.

• If you have a bird bath, clean the basin every one or two weeks with a solution similar to what you cleaned the feeder with. Cover the bath with a trash bag (to deter birds from drinking) and let the bath soak in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the bleach/water mixture in a safe area and rinse it before letting it dry in the sun. Then refill the basin.

If you do find sick or dead birds at your feeder, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife recommends removing the feeder and seed. Clean and store the feeder for two weeks before putting it back up. Put the feeder in a different location when you reinstall it. You should follow the same steps for bird baths.

If you find multiple dead birds at your feeders, report your observations to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. You can use the sick or dead bird online reporting portal, or call the agency’s information center at 1-800-858-1549 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on weekdays. The center is closed on holidays.

What kinds of birds can you spot in your backyard in Kentucky?

You’ve likely heard of the soothing coo of a mourning dove, maybe even spotted the poppy red of a northern cardinal if you’re observant. Still, there are other colorful songbird species you may be able to spot in your Kentucky backyard this spring.

A few of those include:

• The hooded warbler - Boasting bright yellow and olive coloring, you may spot a hooded warbler feasting on insects in forested areas with dense understories.

• The scarlet tanager - These could be easily confused with northern cardinals as the males of the species have brilliant red bodies. Still, scarlet tanagers can be difficult to spot, given they nest high above the ground. Your best chance is in early to mid-April, during their peak migration period.

• The Baltimore oriole - Notable for its orange, black and white coloring, this species enjoys fruits. It’s recommended you hang halved oranges from the trees in your backyard to attract them.

• The ruby-throated hummingbird - Known as Kentucky’s only native hummingbird species, the ruby-throated hummingbird is named so because of the bright-red patch males sport on their necks. Try planting bee balm or cardinal flower to draw them to your backyard.

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