Bird Flu Precautions 

by William Zitek

January 2025

This is a precautionary message regarding Bird Flu. Be informed at this writing there have been no recorded reports of the Bird Flu virus among our singing birds in NC.

The most recent update (January 3,2025), from Cornell University’s All About Birds “Avian  Influenza Outbreak: Should you take down your bird feeders ?”  is a comprehensive, up-to-date and readable discussion of Bird Flu (Avian Influenza) and can be found at: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/avian-influenza-outbreak-should-you-take-down-your-bird-feeders/#:~:text=There%20has%20been%20widespread%20transmission,the%20National%20Wildlife%20Disease%20Program.

This article will answer most of your questions. Many nest box monitors have found a dead bird in a nest box in the early spring and removed it without thought. This is not an uncommon occurrence. The important thing to be aware of is that nest box monitors should, if they come across a dead bird, especially under the present circumstances, wear gloves and a mask when handling the bird and its nesting material and place both in a plastic bag as discussed in this reference. Wash your hands.

Where there’s concern about the presence of Bird Flu, this should be reported to a local veterinarian, and to the State Veterinary Department. At the least you will have alerted authorities who will advise what to do with the carcass. The North Carolina State Veterinary Office phone number is: 919-707-3250.

Our members should also be advised that they should prevent their pets from eating a dead wild bird and avoid other animal feces, especially around farms. The virus is shed in saliva, mucus, and feces.

Currently there is no reason not to feed birds in your yard IF you carry out good hygiene-keeping feeders and waterers clean. While these measures (good maintenance) will help keep us safe, they will also be important to the birds we feed by preventing the spread of diseases among them at poorly maintained feeders.

Warnings about feeding birds in areas that contain poultry and farm animals, especially backyard flocks, are well founded. This precautionary step is taken to prevent attracting any bird species which may carry the Avian Flu virus, even though they may not be ill themselves, from bringing the virus to nearby poultry and farm animals