I am so sorry to hear that you are experiencing this. May I ask how you know it is salmonella? I wonder where they would be picking that up I guess. My personal opinion would be to keep doing what you are doing with keeping feeders and the birdbath clean. If they are ingesting contaminated water somewhere else, there is nothing you can do about that. But you can provide clean water and food. Since you tried bringing them to a rehabber before and it did no good, perhaps it would be best to let nature take it course. Like you, I wouldn't want to cause additional stress for the poor sick birds if it would not help them anyway.

Kendra, the first year it happened the rehabber sent some bodies to UofM (michigan) for testing. Sadly I am quite familiar with the symptoms as this will be the 3rd time.
For you that are not familiar, the first thing you notice is "puffed up" birds hanging out near water, they may look like they are "bobbing" a bit. Then you notice they are slow, they don't stay with the flock and hang behind under the feeders or on the birdbath much later in the evening. You often find them the next morning near the foundation of a house , wood pile etc, anywhere they consider shelter as they spend their last day/night weak and unable to roost in trees. The one today had obviously fallen off the small tree and was unable to get to shelter. By the time I noticed it, it appeared to be sleeping. It was everything I could do to keep myself from bringing it in. It seemed to be at peace. Thats why I thought the snow may actually help. You always hear that freezing to death is something that you do in your sleep, while this disease starves them to death or suffocates them. SO SAD

Lisa, have you thought of setting up a large cage in a warm area and put them there? This would provide food and comfort,

Elly, I have a cage but the "warm area" would have to be my laundry room with no view of outside. There is no other safe place in the house with 4 cats running around. Hubby would not allow me to put a cage in the bedroom. If you think that would be less stressful than their natural surroundings I will bring them in. You definatly know better than I do. The good news is I think this is going to be a mild case where only the weakest of birds die. I have only found 8 dead in the couple weeks this has been going on. The last time I would find 3-5 in a day. Last check today I do not see any noticably sick birds and did not find any dead ones. Lets pray this is near over.

Lisa,

I recall this happening almost every winter for three winters, right? Was this identified as salmonella for sure? I think I recall it was.

Do you have a friend ho is a vet, or a vet who make take an interest in the pathology of this, and perhaps s/he can do a necropsy? This is a repeated die-off and someone should get to the source and confirm it.

In the meantime, this is what I would do if I did not have access to a rehabber: Set up the cage in the laundry room, which as to be warmer than the outdoors. Line it well with newspaper and paper towels (for easy cleaning). Provide easy to eat and high fat finch seed (niger, sunflower hearts) in small bowls (like butter ramikans) and low bowls of water. Drape a light-colored sheet or pillow-case over it so they can't see you but the can get the light of the room. (They won't eat without light.) Turn lights off at night.

Make sure you remove the paper and keep it clean, especially cleaning any perches. Use 10% bleach solution in water. Clean your hands well.

Not sure what else to say, except keep all clean, especially your hands. If they survive, they survive, and if they die, they die warm and comfortable under your kind care.

Thanks Elly. This is the 3rd time it has happened in 6-7 years. The first year I stopped feeding but it didn't do any good. Once it starts it will run it's course. I think you helped me through the first year. The second time is when I got the rehabber involved, she is a well known Raptor rehabber (Braveheart Center) she was concerned because I had such a big die off. 2-5 birds a day for a couple weeks. We sent 6 of them to the state lab for tests and it was confirmed salmonella in all of them, a report was filed. Seems every other year or so I get huge flocks of Goldfinches in late fall and they stay. These are the years they get sick. My best guess it that there is a large Dairy farm a few miles down the road. Now and then I will get a small flock of HOSPS come through (prolly from there), it's usually after they have been here and gone that the finches get sick. There are also quite a few folks with chickens out here. It only happens in the winter. Could it be my heated bird bath? I change water 2 x a day. This year I am seeing a sick bird every few days instead of a few every day. There are at least 200 gold finches out there. Is this just to be expected with such large numbers?