Advice for Bird Watchers
It is still considered safe to watch and feed wild birds and to monitor nest boxes.
It is safe to watch birds, feed birds, and monitor nest boxes.
As
always, to avoid contracting any illness from wild birds, you should
wash your hands thoroughly with soap or hand sanitizer after handling
bird feeders, bird nests, birdbaths, or water contaminated by bird
droppings. Avoid touching bird droppings or dead birds. If you must
move a dead bird, use disposable gloves or double plastic bags.
To
date, the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has not been found in birds or
people in North America. Where the virus has been found, the only
documented report of transmission from wild birds to humans
so far has been in Azerbaijan. After defeathering swans, seven people became ill, four of whom later
died. For more information about
this
case, read the June 26, 2006 article in The Guardian.
In
most cases, humans have been infected through close contact with
diseased poultry, infected bird products (feathers, manure, etc.), or
contaminated surfaces, such as dirt, water, or cages. Among wild birds,
waterfowl and shorebirds seem to be most affected by outbreaks of high
pathogenicity H5N1 so far.
In the event that there is an
outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus in your area, it would be
important to avoid touching dead or sick birds. In the area of an
outbreak, if you handle birds through mist netting or rehabilitation,
or if you monitor bird nests in the area of an outbreak, you should
follow safety precautions as outlined by the USGS National Wildlife
Health Center.
Additional information and advice for bird watchers may be found at the links below:
- A chart listing species affected by the avian flu virus to date, from the United States Geological Survey
- Safety precautions for bird banders or rehabilitators in the event of an outbreak of avian flu, USGS National Wildlife Health Center
- Where to report sick or dead wild birds, USDA
For a reassuring perspective on avian flu, read Cornell Lab of Ornithology director John Fitzpatrick's column, "The View from Sapsucker Woods," in the spring 2006 issue of BirdScope.
Please visit our Q&A section for answers to other questions about the avian flu virus and how it could be spread.