[cobirds] Avian pox in house finches - Douglas

If anyone can suggest solutions to Lin & Tim, please do (and post them on Cobirds too).

Hugh Kingery
Franktown, CO

Hello, fellow birders.    The inclement weather brought hordes of birds to our yard Wednesday--and among   them was a house finch with avian pox.  It broke our hearts to look at all the   growths over its head, and to see how sick the poor thing was.  This happened to   us at the beginning of June.  We spied a mourning dove with dry pox (exterior   nodules), and a few listless birds that mostly likely had wet pox (oral cavity   and upper respiratory tract).  As recommended, we brought in all our feeders,   discarded the food, and sanitized the feeders with bleach.  The birds dispersed,   as predicted.  A week later, we hung out a few feeders, most of our "regulars"   returned, and we saw no more signs of the virus.    Just to be clear, we have always thoroughly washed our bird feeders, changed the   feeders to different locations, and kept the area under the feeders well raked.    We also scrub out the birdbaths regularly, and change the water 2-3 times daily.    Unfortunately, none of our "preventive measures" have worked.  We have been   bird-feeding for over 30 years, but not until we moved to Colorado did we   encounter avian pox.  We assume that's the result of the high population of   house finches, which seem more susceptible to the disease.  About 75% of our   guests are house finches.    The most frustrating aspect of this situation is that the virus is here, birds   are infected, and every time one finds its way to our feeders, we have to halt   our feeding program.  I honestly don't believe that a "temporary halt" will   change anything.  A week or a month from now, we could spot another bird, and   have to stop feeding again.  For all we know, it could take years for the virus   to work its way through the bird population and finally go away.  It's probable   that wherever birds congregate, no amount of hygiene can keep the disease from   showing up and spreading.  According to research I've done, the virus can live   for 2-3 years in the scars of infected birds that recover--not very encouraging   information.    We live in "central Highlands Ranch," bordered by County Line, Broadway,   University, and Quebec.  If any of you notice any sick birds in your   area--particularly house finches, please let us know.  Also, any suggestions,   knowledge, or experience with this virus would be much appreciated.    Thanks for your help,  Linda & Tim Williams

            <willys68@q.com>

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