A variety of winter songbirds around the state have been reported dead or sick due to Salmonellosis, a bacterial disease transmitted bird to bird in their fecal material, said Department of Natural Resources wildlife disease experts.

“Species of birds that feed together in large numbers such as pine siskins, sparrows, gold finches and other finch species, often feed and defecate in the same location, allowing for easy contamination of food,” said Tom Cooley, DNR wildlife disease specialist. “Sick birds often sit with their feathers fluffed, act lethargic, are unwilling to move and can be easily approached, and in some cases, handled.”

Cooley said that birds with Salmonellosis develop lesions in the esophagus and crop areas, where dead cells, bacteria and inflammatory material accumulate in the lining resulting in a thickening of the tissue. In severe cases, birds develop blockages or closures of the esophagus or crop that can result in malnutrition and dehydration.

Once dead birds are collected from a site, birdfeeders should be removed and disinfected in a 10 percent bleach solution. All feeding should be halted for two weeks. Neighbors that also feed birds should be contacted and they should do a similar disinfection and stoppage of feeding, Cooley said. If there are accumulations of spilled feed, these areas should be cleaned up also because contaminated feed could serve as a source of bacterium for any healthy birds in the area. Cooley cautioned that dogs and cats are also susceptible to Salmonellosis, and urged homeowners to not let them feed on any dead birds.

For more information on Salmonellosis, go to the DNR Web site and type in Salmonellosis in the Search window. Any sick or dead birds found in yards should be reported to the DNR by using the state’s Wildlife Disease Reporting Form on the Emerging Diseases Web page at www.michigan.gov/emergingdiseases.